Fallen Angel
by lovebites240196
Summary: Corruption. Murder. Lies. A hero in the most unlikeliest of circumstances. Will it work? Very different from SLTS. Rated M for swears, gruesome deaths and mature content.
1. The Darkness Within

Fallen Angel

**A/N: I present to you the first chapter of Fallen Angel. I won't explain the name of the title in this chapter as it will give away what I plan on doing. The explanation shall come later. I give thanks to RandomWriter2011 for help with the title. Be warned, this story may not come across as happy like the other. I feel both stories represent my idea of Harry and his world. You've had the happy, joyous, light me. Not you get the dark me. Enjoy. :)**

There they were. Three figures sat in a dark room, huddled around a blue flame in a little jar, conjured by the only girl in the room. The room itself was bare, apart from a big sofa, and an empty fireplace. This room was one only the three of them and a select few knew about. Two sat in deep thought, contemplating what their leader has just told them. The third, the leader, sat patiently and waited, waited for his best friends to make up their minds. He didn't have to wait long.

"OK." The girl spoke. "We'll do it. We'll join you. We'll get to yours on your birthday, and we'll take the portkey. We're with you every step of the way, you know we are."

"Thank you. That means a lot. Get to the house by 11:55pm on the 30th. As soon as I turn sixteen, we'll go. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

xxxxx

Those same three figures could be found, at 12:10am of the morning of the 31st of July, making their way through various corridors, unnoticed and unheard by everyone present in the Manor. The leader came to a stop in front of an open door and held up a hand, signalling his two companions to also cease walking. The person they had come to meet was there, standing in the middle of the room with his back turned to them. The leader stepped forward cautiously, making sure to stay in the shadows, despite the fact his hood was up and no-one could see his face. Eventually, he stepped cautiously out into the shadows, and spoke the name of the man in front of him.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle. We meet again."

Lord Voldemort turned just as the figure who spoke lowered his hood. "Harry Potter. Give me one good reason why I should not kill you and your friends right here, right now, after you willingly walk into my domain." 

"Because, Tom, our death would not be beneficial to you. We have something much more… advantageous, for you."

"Really? What could the Saviour, and his Mudblood and Blood Traitor friends offer me?"

To this, Harry, Ron and Hermione all stepped forward until they were in front of the Dark Lord. As one, they all kneeled before him, and once again, Harry spoke. "We offer you our allegiance. We will join you. We will be more useful to you alive than dead."

If Voldemort was shocked, he didn't let it show. "You would join me, just like that? Why?" 

"We have our reasons, none of which will be told tonight. We are willing to bear the Mark for you, in your name. My Lord."

"But you are Dumbledore's precious Golden Trio, there is no way you would willingly join me without wanting something for yourselves. Stand the three of you, and Harry, tell me what your terms are."

They stood, and Harry stared Voldemort right in the eye. "First of all, you do not call my friends such offensive names like Mudblood and Blood Traitor again. They are as loyal to you as I am, and shall be treated the same as your Death Eaters. Second, I will have the same rights and powers as you, you're equal if you will, and Ron and Hermione will follow my orders, not yours, as will any others I want to join us. Third, I know you are going to brand Draco Malfoy this summer and make him one of your own. Don't. He, along with his parents, and his godfather Severus Snape, shall be left to me. His allegiance is sworn to me, and he becomes one of mine rather than yours. And finally, I get to call you Tom." Harry finished with a smug smirk.

"You make high demands Harry. However, I am not that consumed with hatred that I have failed to see how much of a powerful wizard you are, and how much of a powerful ally you will be. Having you on my side, but not as my equal would be stupid of me. You shall get your wish. Not only will I treat you as my equal, but I shall my make my Death Eaters treat you as they do me. They shall also be at your disposal if you need them. Anyone you ask to join you, I will not question. I shall respect your decision and judge of character. And you're right, I am branding young Mister Malfoy this coming August. However, if you wish to have him as one of your own, you may. One thing I will not do is hand over my control of Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy, and Severus Snape over to you. They have served me well over the years, and I am not going to lose them. However, as with the other Death Eaters, they will be at your disposal should you need them. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, but I shall let Hermione tell you this one." Harry turned to Hermione, who strode forward with confidence.

"This one is my own personal idea. If we are going to be Death Eaters, but answerable to Harry rather than you, I feel we should be Marked differently so as to differentiate between the two sub-groups. I feel the Mark should be moved from the left forearm, to the right bicep as there it will be easier to conceal in the summer months. Finally, I believe that we should all have code names, so that the only people that know who we truly are are yourself, and everyone else in our sub-group. Unlike your Death Eaters, we cannot be known to be on your side, it would make things harder, and ultimately more dangerous to us. Not only that, but it will make it near impossible to get close to Dumbledore and strike."

Voldemort was impressed. "You present a very good argument Miss. Granger, I'm impressed. Alright, you've won me over. You may join me. Your Mark shall be on your right bicep, as suggested, but rather than having a skull, it shall just be a coiled snake. However, before I Mark you, I want you to pledge you allegiance to me. Harry, you first."

"I, Harry James Potter, do solemnly pledge my allegiance to you, Tom Marvolo Riddle, and I do promise that my loyalties shall lie, from now until I die, to you. I will not lie to you, nor shall I deceive you, or any of my associates. Cor meum tibi offero domine prompte et sincere. This I do solemnly swear."

"Very good. Miss. Granger?"

"I, Hermione Jean Granger, do solemnly pledge my allegiance to you, Tom Marvolo Riddle, and I do promise that my loyalties shall lie, from now until I die, to you. I will not lie to you, nor shall I deceive you, or any of my associates. Cor meum tibi offero domine prompte et sincere. This I do solemnly swear."

"Excellent. Mr. Weasley?"

"I, Ronald Bilius Weasley, do solemnly pledge my allegiance to you, Tom Marvolo Riddle, and I do promise that my loyalties shall lie, from now until I die, to you. I will not lie to you, nor shall I deceive you, or any of my associates. Cor meum tibi offero domine prompte et sincere. This I do solemnly swear."

"Very well. You may join me. I know of the perfect Mark for you. Harry, come here, you're first. Please, roll up your right sleeve." Harry did so. At first he felt nothing, but then, a sensation came up his arm, like a snake slithering up it. When he felt Tom removed his wand, Harry looked down to find that, coiled tight around his upper arm, was a thick black snake with green eyes. Tom spoke again. "The snake has green eyes so that there is a difference between my Mark and yours. The eyes are your eyes. That way people will know that whoever bears it belongs to you. Miss. Granger, Mr. Weasley, come here. Let me Mark you too." They obeyed.

Once all three were Marked, Harry spoke again. "Our names have already been chosen. Ron will be Crimson Killer, Hermione will be Mastermind, and I will be Torva"

"Ah, Grim. In honour of your godfather I presume?"

"Yes. Collectively, we also have a name, like your Death Eaters. Last year, we created a group called the DA, or Dumbledore's Army. I will admit, this group was set up in order to protect the students from your rising power Tom. In it they were taught the spells that Dolores Umbridge refused to teach. I will shamefully admit that we started it, as I will shamefully admit that we led it. However, I am sure that most, if not all of the people who joined would be willing to join our cause. Either way, the name, DA, will be our name. However, it will stand, not for Dumbledore's Army, but for Dead Assassins."

"I see. Use the name DA, and the old crackpot will still think you are fighting in his name and his honour. A new name would be too risky. I like it. However, code names are not enough if people can see what you look like. Do you have a mask?"

Ron stepped forward. "If I may my Lord? When we three discussed joining your cause, I myself made the point that a name will not be enough, as people will still see us. If we are to be who we are setting out to be, we need to be seen by the Wizarding World, without them realising it is us. Therefore, I made the suggestion of masks. These masks will only cover our eyes, but they will still help to disguise us. Harry's eyes are instantly recognisable, so his mask will be a transfiguration of his glasses and they will change his eye colour to a bright blue. Also, my brothers are currently working on a spell that changes the voice of the person it is cast on. Once they have perfected it, I am going to ask them to cast it onto the masks, so that they automatically change your voice when worn. That way, if they manage to see through the mask, which they won't, they won't be able to tell who we are from the voices."

"That, Mr. Weasley, is a very good idea if I do say so myself. Even I can admit, though I loath to say it, that your brothers are very clever, and are more than capable of creating such a spell. From the little I have seen of them, they seem different from the rest of your family…"

"That they are Tom. Fred and George have always had something about them that I feel is different. They will be some of the first ones I recruit after we get back to school." Harry interrupted him.

"Not before?"

"No. I have a few others in mind, and I would rather speak to them all at once than have to explain myself multiple times."

"That is understandable Harry. Now, if you are all ready, I will call my Death Eaters to meet you all. With your masks of course." Tom raised his wand, but before he could do anything, Harry spoke up again.

"Before you do Tom, I want you to make me a promise. Promise me, that Draco Malfoy will not be branded with any sort of Mark, mine nor yours, until I have spoken to him. Give him his task, by all means, but no Mark. I know you agreed, but you haven't promised me, and I still don't fully trust you. Promise me."

"I promise. Now, let me introduce you…."

**xxxxx**


	2. An Unlikely Way Out

Fallen Angel

**A/N: I'm disappointed. One review, is that it? Come on, you guys can do better than that!**

Sat at in the Great Hall as the first years were sorted, Harry surveyed the people gathered, starting with the staff table. McGonagall, check. Hagrid, check. Professor Slughorn, the new potions master, check. Snape, the new DADA teacher, check. That should be fun. And of course, sat at the head, Dumbledore, the old crackpot. He was looking older this year, Harry noticed. That should make it easier to deceive the old fool. As Harry was staring at him, eyes full of hatred, said wizard turned slightly to look at the Gryffindor, who had to quickly school his features into those of appraisal. When their eyes locked, Harry and Dumbledore exchanged brief nods and faint smiles, before Dumbledore turned back to the sorting. Harry's fake smile dropped immediately. His eyes strayed once more to the first years. _Children as young as them should not be involved in wars like this_ he thought. _One thing I will do is make sure they do not get hurt. _He turned away and started scanning the seated students, starting with the Gryffindors. Of course, Ron and Hermione were on his side, so that wasn't a problem. Neville was loyal, as always, and starting to come out of his shell more. Crouch may have been an evil lying bastard, but at least he gave Neville more confidence. Harry could also tell that Neville had much more potential, and power, than he used, and maybe even realised. Getting him on side shouldn't be a problem. Dean too, he was loyal, so there was another one. Ginny, she would do anything for Harry. She thought of him as her big brother after all, that was, after he publicly came out as gay last year. Another feisty warrior. Seamus may be a problem. He turned against Harry last year, and was willing to listen to his mother over the Saviour. He may require time, but Harry was sure he'd get to him. Moving to Ravenclaw, where was…ah, there she was. Luna Lovegood. A very individual character whom many thought mad. But Harry saw through the eccentrics and, like Neville, saw a warrior. She was also willing to follow Harry as she never saw him as the Saviour or Chosen One. Just Harry, and that was what he liked. His eyes roamed the rest of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff before settling on Slytherin. They were his main targets. Likely to join Tom's side because of their parents influence, but if he wasn't quick enough, also likely to be manipulated onto Dumbledore's side. His main targets, however, were in the upper years, and in the upper class. Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, Astoria Greengrass, Millicent Bulstrode, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, and at the centre, the ring leader, Draco Malfoy. He was Harry's main target. Draco was headstrong, a team leader. He stood no shit from anyone, and was the most influential person in the whole of Slytherin. The undisputed Slytherin Ice Prince. He was probably worth the most to Harry. If he could get Draco on side, he would get most of Slytherin on side. Now all he needed to do was make contact with Draco. Shouldn't be a problem. Having crushes on gorgeous boys wasn't always a bad thing you know?

xxxxx

He could feel them again. Potter's eyes. He felt them on the platform, when he walked past the compartment on the train, and on the walk to the school. Draco looked over to see those emeralds staring back at him. There was something about Potter this year. He seemed more confident and surer of himself. He strode about now rather than trying to sneak around in the shadows. His minions Granger and Weasley seemed to respect him more also. They too seemed more confident. Something had happened to the three of them, Draco was sure of it. But he couldn't let himself dawdle too much on the Golden Trio. He had a task to do. How on Earth did one kill the Headmaster of Hogwarts? Even if it was Voldemort and his new followers Torva, Mastermind and Crimson Killer telling him to do it, it was still scary. The three new additions had been introduced to everyone early morning of the last day of July. They were, apparently, a sub-section of the Death Eaters, with Torva (Grim in Latin) as their leader. Torva was to be treated with the same respect as the Dark Lord, and Mastermind and Crimson Killer, and any other members of the Dead Assassins, were to be treated as equals to the Death Eaters. If Torva needed any of the Death Eaters to his bidding, they were not allowed to refuse. What worried Draco the most was the fact that the three were, apparently, spies here at the school. Clearly they were spies in Slytherin, as none from the other Houses would have willingly joined Voldemort's side. But who were they? Again, that would have to wait, Draco had more important things to think about….

xxxxx

That night, Harry, Ron and Hermione were the only ones awake in the common room. They were huddled around the fire talking.

"Did you see the way Dumbledore looked at me during the sorting ceremony?" Harry asked.

"Yes I did. There was something in his eyes. Something registered there." Hermione answered.

"Mmm, I noticed something as well. After he looked at you Harry, he seemed to become stiffer. Only very slightly, but he tensed up a bit, as if, like Hermione said, he noticed something different in you."

"Oh well, let him notice. I'll just blag it away. Anyway, Draco Malfoy. I want him on side as soon as possible so we can help him with the task Tom gave him. If I can find him on this," Harry waved a hand over the Marauder's Map as it came to life, "then I will speak to him tonight. He quite frequently wanders the halls at night, I've noticed."

"Harry be careful. Don't let your feelings for him compromise anything." Hermione warned.

"I won't Hermione. If he joins us, I'll tell him. If he doesn't, he will never know. Simple. Now, where is h…..there he is. Astronomy Tower. Wish me luck." Harry stood, closed off the Map, waved his wand across his face to transform his glasses to his mask, covered himself with his Invisibility Cloak, and set off.

xxxxx

Silence. Exactly what Draco needed to _think_. The Astronomy Tower provided silence and fresh air, and it was a place Draco adored, simply because of the privacy and loneliness. Suddenly, the silence was interrupted by footsteps on the stairs. Draco spun round with his wand out. "Who's there? Students should not be out of bed at this hour. Detention! Now show yourself!"

A figure stepped out of the shadows. He wore black robes to the floor, and a black mask covering his eyes. Torva. Torva was in the school.

"Really Draco, you would give me a detention? I hardly doubt that."

"Torva. My apologies." Draco pocketed his wand. "I didn't know it would be you. What are you doing here? Surely it is dangerous showing your face here?"

"Dangerous, maybe. But completely necessary. You see, Draco, I have a proposition for you. As you know, I was there the night the Dark Lord gave you your task, but I also know he did not brand you. If you let him do so, you will be tied to him forever, with no freedom. However, you join me, and you will not be stuck in such servitude. You will of course have your own free will, but I have a feeling you would still do as you are told for me. If you wear my Mark, you will be one of us, and I promise you, it will not hurt anywhere as much. I will give you assistance with your task, and together, we will see the fall of the old crackpot Dumbledore. When the Light and Dark fall, you will be lifted high. Together, we shall rule. What? Did you think I was completely on Tom's side? No, never. He has caused too much heartbreak in my life. I just want to make a huge change in the Wizarding World, and if that means siding with him for now, I will. After the final Battle, I shall defeat him, and we shall rule Draco, that I promise you. All you have to do is join me."

"Who are you first? Tell me who you are." Draco demanded.

"Fine. I shall reveal myself. I will also answer any questions you have." Torva raised his wand and waved it across his own face. The Mask shrunk to reveal the person underneath.

"Potter? What the hell are you doing? Why would you of all people want to join the Dark Lord?"

"Like I said, I have suffered a great loss at Tom's hand Draco, but I have suffered more at the hands of Dumbledore. It is because of his manipulation that my parents are dead. It is because of him my godfather was wrongly accused of their murder and thrown into Azkaban. Because of him, I suffered abuse at the hands of my Aunt, Uncle and cousin, my so-called family and guardians. Because of him, my godfather, the only real tie I had to my parents, is dead. No more. No more will he manipulate me and think he can control me. I am my own person."

"That means Mastermind and Crimson Killer are Granger and Weasley."

"Very good Draco."

"Do not patronise me! You said you wanted to make a change in the Wizarding World?" Draco pointed out.

"That I did," Harry responded, slowly stepping closer to the other boy. "I do want to make a change. There is too much corruption and unfairness in this world. Purebloods believe themselves to be better and superior to wizards and witches with half as much magical blood in their veins or less. Witches and wizards who are probably far better people than they are. This supremacy the Purebloods feel they have over them is just a load of bullshit. It is behaviour and beliefs like that that led to the first War, and it is leading towards another. It isn't fair. People should be treated the same, and I want to make it so they are. The same applies to creatures and hybrids. Werewolves, centaurs, anything that can live a civilised life without risking exposure to the rest of the world should be given the same chances. As for the corruption in the world, well, your father knows all about that. Back-handed, dirty money passed into corrupted dirty hands so that he can get the kind of result that he wants. I won't be allowing that either. Everybody should have the same sort of chances in life and favouritism should not be given to the person who can offer the highest amount. I will admit, your father's methods of, _persuasion, _may be very useful when it comes to taking down the Ministry, but once we have won, and the new laws will be made, he will not be able to get away with his dirty ways so easily." 

"Are you saying you would throw my father into prison?" Draco demanded.

"No. I'm purely saying that he shall be given a warning when the new laws come into force. I will also make sure that he is cleared of all charges regarding him being a Death Eater when he is arrested. Because he will be, Draco, and I won't be able to stop it. Every Death Eater will be. If I show favouritism towards him by allowing him to stay free, then we will be back to square one. Do you see what I am saying?"

"I do. But it doesn't mean I believe you." 

Harry stepped up close to the other boy and looked him square in the eye. "Trust me Draco. The whole Malfoy family, including you, are an incredibly powerful force in this World. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe and out of Azkaban, I assure you."

Draco saw the truth radiating through the Gryffindor's eyes. "Either way, I won't join you that easy. Don't forget, we have hated each other for many years now. I am not just going to willingly jump over to your side, no matter what side you are on. You need to prove yourself to me Potter. Prove to me that you have changed, and that you are serious about this, and I might consider it."

"Fine. If it's proof you want, I'll prove it to you. I'll be waiting Draco." With that, Harry strode across the floor and down the stairs, throwing his cloak over him as he did, leaving Draco to contemplate.

"It's Malfoy, Potter!" he shouted after him. This new revelation now left Draco in an even more compromised position. Not only did he have his task, but now he had to decide just which side he wanted to be join. He had already contemplated asking Potter for help, but that was when he thought the Boy Wonder was on Dumbledore's side. But now, he knew that he was in fact on a side of his own, leaning slightly towards the Dark Lord to get what he wanted. Potter had promised him greatness, and he had promised him help with the task. But most importantly, Potter had guaranteed him and his family safety. But he had a reputation to uphold in the school. What would people start to think if he started becoming friends with Potter? What would his friends think? Yeah, he was gay, as was Potter, but wouldn't that give the wrong impression? Decisions, decisions…

**xxxxx**


	3. Surprising Allies

Fallen Angel

**A/N: The name of the story, Fallen Angel, comes from the idea that Draco calls Harry, in canon, "Saint Potter". However, Harry, in this story, is not the sweet, innocent Saint that everybody expects. He has fallen. A Fallen Angel. Thanks to RandomWriter2011 for coming up with that idea.**

Harry's chance to prove himself came the following morning. It was almost the end of breakfast, and he, Ron and Hermione were sat at the Gryffindor table. All of a sudden, shouting could be heard out in the Entrance Hall. Going to see what the commotion was, the three found a huge crowd encircling two boys: Draco Malfoy, and an older seventh year Slytherin. The other boy was shouting.

"You have no right!"

"I have every right Pucey. I am a Prefect, you are not. Humiliation and enslavement of first years, especially during their first night here, is not encouraged at Hogwarts. As Prefect, I have the power to take points away from students. Hence why I took the fifty from you a moment ago."

"I am older than you, Malfoy. I am your elder, and you should respect me!"

"Rules are rules." Draco simply replied.

"Fuck the rules! Unless of course, you want me to tell your father you are a raging puff." Pucey threatened.

Draco drew his wand, but Pucey was quicker. With a quick Expelliarmus, Draco was defenceless. Pucey raised his wand for a second time, but before he could cast anything, Harry disarmed him. Stepping into the circle, he quickly summoned both of the Slytherins' wands whilst keeping his trained at the Slytherin Chaser. Slowly he advanced, until he was stood beside Draco.

"That wasn't very nice." Harry quietly said, whilst slowly handing Draco his wand back.

"Oh look Malfoy, your boyfriend's here to save you." Pucey jeered. "What's it got to do with you Potty? What you going to do about it?"

"Nothing, if you don't push it. Your problem is with the fact that Malfoy has taken points away from you, something he can do by the way. If you are going to say something, then you stay on topic. You do not bring a person's family into the equation, and you certainly do not degrade them by threatening them with their sexuality. I happen to know that Lucius Malfoy already knows of his son's preferences, so that doesn't work."

Pucey flared red with anger. "Are you threatening me Potter? Think you're scary don't you?" he snarled dangerously, all the while advancing on the Gryffindor.

Harry stood his ground. "As a matter of fact, I am. I strongly suggest you back off and accept the loss of points, or you will see just how scary I can be."

"And what are you going to do, huh? Report me to Mum and Dad? Oh sorry I forgot, you don't have them do you? The Dark Lord aims to the rid the world of mudblood and blood traitors, and what a better way to start than to make an example of your parents?"

Harry saw red. Wordlessly, he sent Pucey flying across the Entrance Hall, where he hit it with a resounding crack. Harry strode over to him menacingly, wand pointed at the other boy's head. As soon as he was close enough, he levitated the Slytherin into the air and proceeded to slowly choke him with a spell he had learnt from Tom. "I mean what I say Pucey. Back off, or I will get worse."

"Mr. Potter." Harry turned slightly to see Professor Snape standing next to him, having silently crept up on him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm teaching one of your students, this _Torva_, a lesson sir." He responded calmly.

"Well I suggest you release him from whatever spell you have him under, and the both of you follow me to my office. Now." Harry reluctantly complied, following Snape easily, Pucey following behind slowly, a good distance behind him.

Once in the Professor's office, Harry stood by his desk, waiting for the other man to speak.

"Now, Mr. Potter, I suggest you give me a very good reason as to why you had Mr. Pucey pinned up against the wall of the Entrance Hall, before I throw you in detention for the entire year."

"Well you see Professor, I heard a commotion in the Entrance Hall, and along with Ron and Hermione, I went to see what the problem was. In the middle of the circle that had formed around them was Pucey and Malfoy. Pucey was shouting his mouth off about the fact that Malfoy had taken points away from him, which he is within his rights to do."

"And why had Mr. Malfoy taken the points away Mr. Pucey?" Pucey mumbled a reply. "I suggest you speak up boy."

"I humiliated the first years and then tried to make them my slaves last night." He admitted, shamefully.

"So points being taken was rightly deserved then. Just be glad Mr. Malfoy did not give you a detention. However, Mr. Potter," he turned to the boy, "it still doesn't explain why you had one of my students under a curse and were, in your own words, 'teaching him a lesson'."

"Because, sir, not only did he threaten Malfoy with his family, and degrade him for his sexuality, he insulted my parents. You know yourself that I do not take insults towards my parents kindly."

"Very well. Mr. Pucey, you will receive a month's worth of detentions for your actions. You may leave." Pucey left, leaving Harry and the Professor in the room alone. "The question is, Mr. Potter, why were you, of all people, defending Mr. Malfoy?"

"That shall become clear soon. The question is though, Professor, did you notice my use of a certain name?"

"What are you talking about Potter?"

"I called Pucey a Torva, Professor."

"I'm surprised you know what that means." Snape answered nastily.

Harry smirked. "You're about to be more surprised then." He withdrew his wand and waved it across his face, forming the mask. Snape was in shock. The mask he wore to hide his emotions dropped to reveal the shock on his face. He fell into his seat.

"_You_ are Torva?"

"Surprised Severus? And yes, I am Torva. As for why I am defending Draco, well, that's interesting. You see, I have offered him a position on my side. I am giving him the chance of escaping, not just Dumbledore's manipulation, but the torment and enslavement that will come from being a pawn of the Dark Lord's. I'm offering him a way out. I am also offering him help with the task he has been given. I know Narcissa came to you asking you to help him, and I know you made the Unbreakable Vow, but your help may not be needed if he chooses to join me. I promise you now Severus, before you say a word, I will keep him safe. When I defeat Voldemort, and when I rise to the top, I will take him with me."

"You hate him Potter, why would you want to help him?"

"I don't hate him Severus. I used to, but that was before I knew about this world properly and whilst I was still under Dumbledore's control. This isn't something that had come quickly, no, this is something that had been building for over a year now. I have always thought him to be quite manipulative, how else would he get what he wants all the time. That's why he would never take the position for Minister for Magic you see. If he was at the front, if he was the face of this country, he would never be able to get away with the things he has. At least this way, he can. But I say no more. I want Draco on side so I can keep him safe, like I already said, from the manipulation and enslavement that the other alternatives offer. As for why, well, for some time now I have certain…feelings, towards him."

"I do not need to know about your fantasies regarding my godson Potter. Just promise me one thing." Snape asked, albeit shy and ashamed at asking The Boy Who Lived for something. "Promise me that you will protect him and keep him safe. I think of Draco as my own son, and if anything were to happen to him, I would personally come for you."

"I promise Severus. Now you promise something for me." Harry strode forward and pointed his wand at the older man. "Promise me you will lay off me and my friends this year during your lessons. Continue hating me, my all means, but back off, or I promise you, I _will_ make your life a living hell." Harry never gave the other man a chance to answer, instead he strode out of the office and left Snape alone, still in shock.

xxxxx

Later that night, an owl flew into the Gryffindor Common room through the open window. It was a majestic owl, an eagle owl as black as night, clearly one that had been bred specifically for a certain colour. In its mouth was a letter. It did one full sweep of the room before coming to rest on Harry's shoulder.

"Hello. And who do you belong to I wonder." Harry mumbled as he stroked the bird's chest. He took the letter from the bird's beak, who then proceeded, once free of its load, to go and sit on the sill of the window, waiting and watching the students.

"Who's sent you that Harry?" Hermione enquired.

"Muffliato." Harry cast the spell on every other student but himself and his two best friends. "looking at the script, I'd say Draco sent it."

"Well, what's it say?" Ron urged.

"Not here I don't think. The dorm, come on. Finite." He ended the spell and started towards the stairs, whistling the owl on his way, which perched on his shoulder gracefully.

Once all three were in the room, and sufficient locking charms and silencers had been placed on the door, Harry opened the letter and read it aloud. "'Dear Potter, I have considered your offer to join your…group. I would appreciate it if you met me tonight, same time and place as last night, so we could discuss things further. Bring Weasley and Granger if you wish. Reply using Aquila, he is a very obedient bird. Also, if you wish to send a letter without anyone recognising your owl, Hedwig is it, you may use him. Yours, DM.' Sounds to me like he's thinking about it."

"Why would he want us there?" Ron asked doubtfully.

"Maybe so he can apologise to us?" Hermione suggested hopefully.

"No, I don't think that's it. I think he wants witnesses, so if he were to be discovered by anyone, whether deliberate or accidental, he would be able to have back up to prove that he was not forced into this." Harry responded. "Either way, he doesn't mind if you're there. You gonna come?"

"Of course. He's a potential new recruit, and if you get him on side, a lot is going to change. We will be there to make sure he knows his place. Do you remember his name?" Hermione quizzed.

"Of course. Let me just write a reply and we'll go to lunch." Harry quickly scribbled an OK on another piece of parchment and gave it to Aquila, who took it in a huff. The bird watched in interest as the three humans left, shook its feathers, and flew out of the open window. Never ever would he understand humans.

xxxxx

Later that night, the same time as before, Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way up to the Astronomy Tower under the Invisibility Cloak. Once they reached the stairs, they rid themselves of it and put on their masks and hoods, before silently making their way up to the top. On the landing, they stood in silence, Harry at the front, Ron and Hermione at his flanks, waiting for Draco to notice them. It didn't take him long.

"You came."

"Of course. I said I would. You have thought more of my offer?" Harry asked as he came forward, closer to the other boy. Hermione and Ron moved to the sides of the room, effectively surrounding the Malfoy heir.

To his credit, if Draco felt intimidated, he never once showed it. "I have. I would appreciate it if you removed your mask Potter, so we can talk face to face. I would also appreciate it if Weasley and Granger removed theirs, so I could feel less like I've been led into a trap." He stared defiantly at Harry, who nodded once and returned his glasses to their original state, Hermione and Ron removing their masks also.

"Better? I am glad. You say you have thought more about it. And? What is your decision?"

"Can you promise me that I will be kept safe?"

"Yes." Harry replied confidently. Slowly he began to circle Draco, who never lost his composure, though he did stiffen slightly.

"You say that I will have my own free will."

"That is correct."

"When you win, you'll bring me to the top with you?"

"Ha, a typical Slytherin, always interested in what's in it for you. But yes, I would."

"You would keep my parents safe and out of prison. My mother and my father?"

"I promise to keep them safe, but I cannot promise that they, or your father at least, will remain out of prison. You understand why I can't?"

"Of course. You also promised that you would help me with my task?" Draco left the question open.

Harry came to a stop in front of him and stared his straight in the eye. "I did, and I will. _We_ will," Harry reassured him, indicating the other two, "but only if you tell us what you plan to do."

"I can't do that. All I ask of you is do what I ask and not question it. A small price for allegiance to you, surely."

"A _very_ small price." Hermione pointed out.

"Indeed. What else do you want Malfoy? Surely not just that."

"No, of course not," he replied, never taking his eyes off of the boy in front of him. "I would also like to apologise to the three of you for my inexcusable behaviour over the years. I ask for your forgiveness, and I ask for a chance to offer my friendship to you again."

"You want to _apologise_? What's more, you want to be our friend? You must be joking me." Ron exclaimed

But Harry, who had seen the honesty in the other boy's eyes as he spoke, knew different. "He's telling the truth Ron."

"Seriously?"

Harry turned his head slightly towards his oldest friend. "Seriously. I mean come on, what does he have to possibly gain from lying to us. I've already warned him what would happen if he got on the wrong side of me. He's telling the truth, and I trust him. Now enough, do not question my authority and judgement again."

Ron became silent. Draco, who was surprised at the way the Gryffindor had just spoken to his best friend, got his attention again. "Well, do you accept my apology?"

"I do, as I'm sure do Hermione _and_ Ron. I will also accept your offer your friendship, though I think it should be done publicly to reduce the risk of rumours. But before I do, I have one final question. Are you with me, or not?"

Draco took a deep breath and responded calmly. "I am."

Harry smirked. "Excellent." He pulled a coin out of his pocket, specifically, the same one he had used to organise the DA meetings a year previous. "Take hold of the coin with me, we are going to see Tom and going to get you marked." Hermione and Ron disappeared as he said this.

Draco paused slightly to reassure himself he was doing the right thing, before taking hold of the coin and disappearing into the darkness…

**xxxxx**


	4. A Dark Mark for a Silver Tongue

Fallen Angel

They landed in front of Malfoy Manor with grace, both managing to stay on their feet, despite the pull they had just felt in their stomachs.

"I didn't think I'd be back here this quick." Draco stated as he walked up the drive, Harry by his side.

"I suppose you didn't. Remember, your mother and father do not know you are here, so do not go and look for them. They can't know about this, not yet."

"I can't believe I'm doing this."

Harry grabbed his arm and pulled the other boy around to face him. "Draco, think. Think about what you are letting yourself in for. If you are having any doubts, any at all, then I suggest you go back to the school right now. I do not want you to take it and then go against me, because if you do, you will make an even worse enemy out of me than you did before. However, if you decide to leave now, I will not punish you. You will be an innocent in the War. I'll still try to save you, unless of course you side with Dumbledore. It's your choice Draco. Make your mind up now before you make a mistake."

"I know what I'm doing Potter! I know exactly what I'm letting myself in for. You are the lesser of the three evils. Trust me Potter when I say that I have not taken this decision lightly. Do you honestly think, if there was a better option, I would've chosen you? No. OK sure, I've offered my friendship to you again, but that doesn't mean I can easily forget the past five years' worth of animosity between us. I know what I'm doing Potter. I know I'm giving you my life in servitude. I'm willing to do this."

"Very well. Hermione and Ron are waiting for us." They restarted the walk into the Manor. Upon entry, they found that Hermione and Ron were indeed waiting for them in the Hall. They fell behind the two boys as they entered, and all four made their way to the living room. Lord Voldemort was stood in the centre, Nagini wrapped around his shoulders. Harry, Ron and Hermione pulled up their hoods and covered their faces. Draco, understanding the importance, kept his head bowed down. The four stepped into the room and closed the doors, locking and silencing them. Then Harry spoke. "Hello Tom."

Voldemort turned. "Harry. You have returned. And I see you have young Mr. Malfoy."

"I do." Harry removed his hood and mask and stepped forward, Hermione and Ron following. "He is a new recruit."

"Really? I am impressed Harry. Draco, if you would please step forward."

Draco made to move, but Harry flung his arm out to hold him still. "One moment Tom. Hermione has something she wishes to do first."

Before anybody else could speak, Hermione raised her wand. "Tempus revocatas facialis" At once, Voldemort started to change. His face seemed to be de-aged by time, and finally, culminating in a yellow light, before the four he stood, except, he wasn't the same. Before them now stood the Tom Riddle from the diary, just very slightly older. He had dark brown wavy hair, brown eyes, slightly darker skin, and a nose.

Voldemort himself was in shock. He conjured a mirror in mid-air and took in his reflection. Slowly, he raised his hands to his face and felt it, making sure what he was seeing was real. When he was satisfied, he turned to the girl, an impressed look on his face. "How did you do that?" 

"I reversed time. You know Latin, you should know what I said. By reversing time, I made you look like your old self. To remove it, simply cast finite." She replied proudly.

"We are all more powerful than you realise, than we realised ourselves at first Tom. I aim to get the people within my group to realise the full potential their powers have. I have done so with Hermione and Ron, and I intend to do so with the others. As for your face, the spell is of Hermione's creation. However, may I stress that you only use it when dealing with myself and my followers alone. If in the presence of Death Eaters, please remain with your other appearance." Harry added.

"Of course. Miss Granger, repeat the spell please."

"Tempus revocatas facialis."

"Thank you. Now then, again, Draco, if you would?" He indicated with his hand for the Malfoy heir to step forward.

Draco tentatively moved forward, dropping to one knee in front of Voldemort. "My Lord?"

"You know what you are doing I presume? A son of Lucius would not have taken this decision lightly, especially one who has had past altercations with your future leader."

"I know what I am doing."

"Very well. A pledge first. Harry?"

The Gryffindor stepped forward. "Repeat after me Draco. I, Draco Lucius Malfoy…"

"I, Draco Lucius Malfoy…"

"…do solemnly pledge my allegiance to you, Tom Marvolo Riddle…"

"…do solemnly pledge my allegiance to you, Tom Marvolo Riddle…" 

"…and I do promise that my loyalties shall lie, from now until I die, to you."

"…and I do promise that my loyalties shall lie, from now until I die, to you."

"I will not lie to you, nor shall I deceive you, or any of my associates."

"I will not lie to you, nor shall I deceive you, or any of my associates."

"Cor meum tibi offero domine prompte et sincere."

Draco frowned at this, but repeated it anyway. "Cor meum tibi offero domine prompte et sincere."

"This I do solemnly swear."

"This I do solemnly swear."

"Very good Draco." Tom commended. "Now, repeat it as one, replacing my name for Harry's."

"What?" Harry asked, confused.

"I know you three pledged your allegiances to me Harry, but that is because you are the leaders of this group. Any other recruit belongs to you, not me, therefore their allegiances should be pledged to you, not me."

Harry considered this for a moment. "If you say so. Draco?"

Draco stared the other boy straight in the eye. "I, Draco Lucius Malfoy, do solemnly pledge my allegiance to you, Harry James Potter, and I do promise that my loyalties will lie, from now until I die, to you. I will not lie to you, nor shall I deceive you, or any of my associates. Cor meum tibi offero domine prompte et sincere. This I do solemnly swear."

"Very good. Your upper right arm please." Draco obeyed, and within a matter of seconds, the Mark was wound around his bicep. Tom spoke again. "I presume you have a name?"

"I have been told so my Lord, however, I am yet to be told just what it is."

"Your name will be Argentum Lingua." Harry announced.

"Silver Tongue?" Draco replied confused.

"Indeed. You have a way with words, what can I say?" Harry answered with a smirk.

"I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult Potter. Or should that be, my Lord?" Draco answered cheekily, smirking slightly and bowing low.

Harry laughed. "Get up Draco. I do not need you bowing to me, and I certainly don't want you calling me 'my lord'."

Tom intercepted. "I disagree with you there Harry. Draco is showing respect to you, albeit in a mocking way. He is proving that he serves you."

"Yes Potter, I'm showing my allegiance to you."

"Well I still don't like it. You may pledge your allegiance to me, but you have your free will still. I don't want any bowing. Thank you."

"Of course, my Lord." Draco responded, this time with a wink. Harry smacked him on the arm.

"Enough! Come on, we need to go, before anybody at school realises we've left." They went to leave the room, but Tom called the back.

"Harry? I will give you a couple of weeks to gather more followers, and then I shall start giving you tasks. Do you understand?"

"Of course Tom. Good night." And with that, the four disappeared.

xxxxx

Upon returning to school, Draco turned to them. "Now then Potter, in regards to my end of the bargain. You said you planned on starting out friendship in public. How when do you plan on doing that?"

"How will be left to me. Don't worry though, you shall find out in the morning. Now go to your dorm before you are found."

"I'm a prefect Potter, I'm allowed out of bed at night."

"What, at one in the morning? I doubt it. Go, go and get some sleep. Good night Draco." Harry nodded to him, as did the other two, and left. Draco remained where he was for another moment, before walking back to his own dorm, the night's events playing over in his mind. Did he really just join the Dead Assassins? Did he really just pledge his allegiance to Harry Potter? Did he really just make friends with Potter, Granger and Weasley? Was he really closer to getting what he wanted? Who he wanted? These thoughts plagued his mind until he fell asleep, awaiting the next day.

**xxxxx**


	5. Inter-House Camaraderie

Fallen Angel

The next morning, the entire school were sat in the Great Hall, eating breakfast, except for one. Harry sat staring over at the Slytherin table towards his newest follower. "I think it's time." He said aloud.

"Time for what?" Ginny Weasley asked.

"A new start." Harry simply replied. He stood and gathered his things. Confidently, he made his way to the Slytherin table, all eyes on him. He approached Draco confidently and stood behind him, waiting to be acknowledged. Draco slowly turned, as did his friends.

"What do you want, Scarhead?" Pansy Parkinson asked cruelly.

"Something I should've accepted many years ago." He simply replied, never taking his eyes off the blond's. Harry outstretched his hand in a silent offering. "Friends?"

The Slytherin table laughed. "Friends? Honestly? After you stood him up first year? You have some nerve…"

"Pansy, enough." Draco calmly said, authority dripping in his tone. He stood up and came face to face with the Gryffindor, who never faltered, and never dropped his hand. "Friends with just me, or with all of my friends? Just you, or all of your friends?" He asked, a challenge in his eyes, but also a glint of hope.

"All of your friends, and all of mine. Consider this an apology from us all for our behaviour over the years, and as a clean slate." Harry's eyes showed his honesty, something he knew Draco could see.

Draco studied him for a moment, searching for lies and betrayal. When he found none, he spoke again, this time with a smile. "Then I accept." He took Harry's hand. "Consider this also as an apology from all of us. You're right, a clean slate is what we need." They shook hands.

"Are you mad Draco? You two hate each other."

"I don't hate him Pansy, you know I don't."

"But he hates you."

"No I don't. Not anymore." Harry replied.

"Nobody asked your opinion Potter!" She snapped. She turned back to her friend. "Do you honestly expect us to be friends with Gryffindorks?"

"Yes, Pansy, I do! I expect all of you to be friends." He addressed the whole Slytherin table now, aware of the silence in the room, and everybody listening to him. "We are heading for a war, Pansy. The time for petty rivalries between houses is over. We need to make as many friends and allies as we can. But most importantly, we need to start growing up, because we are going to get a shock in the future if we don't. And surely you can understand that this is better than the alternative."

Harry spoke up now. "Draco's right Pansy. This so-called hatred is childish. The houses were not set up as rivals. The founders were not rivals. They were friends. If there are cracks in the foundations of this side of the war, if there are weaknesses within. If we fight amongst ourselves, how are we supposed to fight the common enemy? We need to work together, but most importantly, we need to grow up. That is why I have offered my friendship to you all, _our_ friendship to you all. The time for prejudice is over." When he finished, Harry turned to look over at his friends and found every eye in the hall watching him, watching them. He searched until he saw his two best friends. They smiled and nodded once before making their own way also.

"I'm sorry for punching you in third year Draco." Hermione apologised, offering her own hand.

Draco shook it. "And I'm sort for the way I treated you, as I'm sure everybody is, especially Pansy." Said girl shook her head in bafflement. Draco ignored her and turned to the red-head. "And Weasley, I'm sorry for the way myself, and my father, have treated your family over the years. We are distant family, what was said and done should not have happened. On behalf of myself, my father, and my house, I apologise, not just to you, but to your whole family."

"And I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you mate." He shook Draco's hand also. It was at this point that Dumbledore stood up and decided to speak.

"Well, students, this is a lesson to you all. The rivalry between Mr Potter and Mr Malfoy is famous. If they can get over it, and try to make some sort of a truce, then I'm sure we all can. Use these two boys as an example. This year I want to see all of you making an effort to get along. Like the boys said, we are heading towards a war; there is no time for petty rivalries. Unite everyone. That is all." He sat down and continued his breakfast, as did the rest of the staff. Harry, Ron and Hermione shared a look before turning back to Draco.

"Show them your Mark, show them who you are. Tell them you serve Torva, not me, Torva. Tell them I will eventually call on them and talk to them. Tell them you don't know when that is, but that it will be soon. But whatever you do, don't let on that you serve me. Do you understand?" Harry said in an urgent low whisper, loud enough so only Draco, Ron and Hermione could hear.

"I will." Draco simply answered. He nodded his head and sat back down, indicating to the three Gryffindors that they could go.

xxxxx

Later that night in the common room, the ex-Golden Trio were sat round the fire when a very angry red-head came storming over to them. "What the hell do you think you are doing Harry?"

"What do you mean Ginny?" he replied, although he knew full well what she was getting at.

"You have sided with the enemy! You made friends with Malfoy, of all people! Why would you do that? Has he done something to you?"

"Yeah Harry, why would ya' do something like that? Malfoy's a git."

"Yeah…"

"I agree…"

"He is awful Harry…"

The chorus of agreement continued until Harry lost it. "Enough!" he shouted. The room went silent. "First of all, Draco has done nothing to me. I sided with him because over the past year I have come to realise that not only are we heading towards a war, but that he is nothing like his father. I meant everything I said. We need to move past this stupid rivalry and hatred. I am tired of the fighting, I am tired of the prejudice. Draco and I used to be the biggest rivals Hogwarts has ever seen, if we can move past it and make a truce, then all of you can." He cast his eyes around the room, daring anybody to challenge him. Nobody did, though one voice did pipe up.

"I believe you Harry. I always have done. If you say he is a different person, then I believe you. I will try and make friends with him also." Neville Longbottom, the once shy and retiring young boy, now coming out of his shell, spoke up. He got up and walked over to Harry. "I believe you." He nodded, before turning to stand at his friend's side. "And you lot should too. When has Harry ever lied to us? We are Gryffindors. We are lions in a den, we work together. We are brave, yet if you decide to ignore Harry, then you are all cowards. Cowards that are scared of the outcome. Don't be a coward, be a Gryffindor."

"Thank you Neville. I appreciate it."

"Always Harry. I will always stand by your side."

"Thank you." Harry turned back to his friends and they gave him a quick nod, one he reciprocated. He then turned back to Neville. "Come with us. We want to tell you something."

The four of them went to the boys' dorm, where Hermione cast several locking and silencing charms. Neville sat down on his bed, Ron next to him. Hermione sat on the bed opposite, Dean's, and Harry stood in front of him. 

"Right, Neville, we need to tell you something, but you must promise us you will not tell anyone. I also need you to promise me you won't interrupt."

"I promise."

"Good. Now then, what we are going to tell you may come as shock, but you need to trust us." Harry took a deep breath. "We have changed allegiance. We no longer work for Dumbledore. We in fact work for no-one. We have formed a group, well, it's probably best if we show you rather than tell you. You ready?" At his friends' nod, he waved his wand and cast the silent spell, revealing his mask and cloak. The three then proceeded to lift their sleeve and show the other boy their Marks. Neville's eyes widened in shock.

"Are those the…" He started.

"The Dark Mark? A version of it, yes. This is what we wanted to tell you. We serve no-one though, you have to remember that. Over the past years, I have come to the realisation that Dumbledore is a manipulative bastard who uses people as pawns, especially me, to get what he wants. It is because of him that Sirius died just before the summer. No more will I serve him, no more will I be his _pet_." He spat the last word and started pacing, removing his effects in the process. "My aim, our aim, is to bring him down. If that means siding with Tom for the time being, then so be it. However, when the time comes, I will turn against Tom, and I will kill him also. Then, I shall rise to the top, and make the changes that need to be made. I am gathering recruits. As you have already seen, Hermione and Ron are my side. Last night, Draco got marked also…"

"Is that why you made friends with him?"

"Partly, yes. And what did I say about interrupting?"

"Sorry Harry."

"It's not a problem. But yes, Hermione, Ron and Draco are all my followers and are all branded. My question to you is this: will you join me also? You do not have to give an answer yet, but when I call a meeting with several potential candidates, and tell them the truth also, I will expect my answer from you then."

"I can give you my answer now Harry. You are the only one who has stood up for me, well, I say the only one, Ron and Hermione too but never mind. You stood up for me and over the years you have given me the courage to be who I should be. I will side with you Harry, and I will fight with you."

Harry smiled. "Thank you Neville, that means a lot. You will not be marked yet. I want to do it as a mass marking."

"That's fine. I suppose you want me to keep it a secret also."

"Yes please. Do all the members of the DA still have their coins with them do you know?"

Hermione answered this time. "Yes. They never go anywhere without them, just in case."

"Good. They'll come in handy to gather everybody. And Draco is gathering the Slytherins, so we have no problem there…" He trailed off as Aquila flew into the dorm, landing on his shoulder. He took the letter without a word and the bird flew off, clearly not needing to wait for a reply. Harry opened the letter, read it, and pocketed it.

"What is it Harry?" Ron asked.

"Just Draco. He wants to meet me tonight, alone. He wants me to go to his room."

"I presume you're going?"

"Of course. You know I am."

"Why does he want to see you Harry?" Neville asked bravely, preparing himself for any backlash from his new leader.

"No need to sound so scared Neville, I'm not going to hurt you. And he didn't say. I think it may be to do with the Mark. That isn't really something you can discuss over a letter, in case it is intercepted."

"Fair point. When does he want to meet?"

"Whenever I'm ready." Harry replied as he started gathering his cloak. "No point in keeping him waiting. Neville, say nothing about this to anyone, do you understand?"

"Of course."

"Good." They made their way back down to the common room. The room fell silent as Harry entered, with everybody trying to avoid his gaze. "What?" he demanded. Nobody said a word. He shook his head in frustration, muttering a "see you later" to his friends as he left. Once out the door, the common room erupted into noise again.

"What is he playing at Hermione?" Ginny asked as she sat down next to her friend and her brother.

"Who?"

"Harry. Why would he suddenly make friends with the ferret?"

"I think that's obvious now Ginny. The time for fighting is over."

"Yes, as he's already said. But I still don't get it."

"Listen, little sister, Harry is doing what he needs to to help win the war. And he's right, fighting between ourselves is pointless."

"And you, Ron! Have you forgotten all the shit he and his father have been throwing our way, our family's way, for years? Not once has Malfoy shown us any kindness, and I've lost count of how many times you've nearly been in a fight with him. Have you forgotten all that?"

Ron shook his head. "No Ginny. I've just grown up. You should too."

Ginny sat open mouthed for a moment in shock, before storming off to her room, leaving a bad atmosphere behind her. Once the slamming of her dorm door was heard, Neville went and sat in her place.

"That went well." With one sentence, the atmosphere was destroyed as the three on the sofa burst into laughter.

**A/N: Gonna cut the chapter there, otherwise I'll never stop! :D**


	6. Support of a Snake

Fallen Angel

**A/N: This one runs parallel, -ish, with the previous chapter. You should be able to understand what I mean by the end. Hopefully. :)**

"What the hell Draco?" Pansy shouted at him, as they re-entered the Slytherin common room. "Why are you siding with the enemy?"

"The enemy, Pansy?" Draco asked, incredulous. "The enemy is the Dark Lord. Not Potter. Harry. That was a childish school rivalry, and like I said, it's time to grow up. Anyway, enough of that now. Theo, Millie! With me. You four as well." He indicated to Pansy, Blaise, Vince and Greg as he spoke, before making his way down to his dorm. As he passed the Greengrass sisters, Astoria and Daphne, he grabbed them as well.

As the group of nine entered Draco's dormitory, Draco locked the door and reinforced it with a spell, before adding a silencer on top. Astoria was the first one to speak. "Alright Draco, what's this about?"

Draco never answered. He simply rolled up his right sleeve and let them see the black, emerald-eyes snake that now adorned his bicep. When they had seen enough, he rolled his sleeve back down.

"I though you said you weren't Marked?"

"I wasn't, not at that point. This isn't His Mark anyway. This is the Mark of Torva."

"_Torva_?" Pansy whispered, bewildered.

"Yes. He wanted me on side. And wishes me to get some recruits."

"Hell no!" Astoria stood up. "We are not joining the Dark side! Are you mad?! We could get killed!"

"Sit down Greengrass. It doesn't matter which side we choose, the threat of being killed is always going to be there. Besides, do you want to be on the side that wins or not?" The girl sat down. "I thought so. Torva promised me, that when he succeeded, he would take all those that sided with him to the top."

"But we would still be on the Dark Lord's side, wouldn't we?" Astoria's younger sister, Daphne asked. The fifth year stared him in the eyes, showing that, like her sister, she had the power to make him suffer with just a flick of her wand if he didn't give the absolute truth.

"No, not completely. I could try to explain it, but I think its best you hear it from him instead. I'll see if I can find him again, and I'll arrange a meeting for you all with him."

"What happens if we refuse?" Blaise piped up.

"Then you get left alone. But you will have to instantly refuse. He made it very clear to me that anyone who takes the Mark then turns their back on him will find themselves at the top of his hit list. Any other questions?" They shook their heads. "Good, then go. I need to study." He held the door open for them as they filed out and shut it behind them once they had. He dropped into the seat at his desk, but didn't reach for his textbooks immediately. Instead, he reached for a blank piece of parchment and a quill and started to write.

"'Scarhead, and I use the name fondly now, I have information for you. I require to see you, as soon as possible, in my private room, alone. Don't bother replying, just come. Draco.' Aquila!" He whistled the eagle and flew from its perch onto his shoulder. "Take this to Harry Potter." The bird took the letter and flew out of the door as Draco held it open. Closing the door once more, he dropped this time onto the small sofa. He still had to work out how to kill the Headmaster, and he had no idea how to do it. Well, that was a lie, he did have an idea, but he didn't really want to do it. He needed to think of other ideas, then, if they failed, he would go through with the original. He didn't really want to, but he would have no other choice. But there was one big problem. How did on fix a broken Vanishing Cainet when only one was at your disposal? Looks like he may end up taking Harry's offer of help up in the end anyway.

**xxxxx**


	7. Talks and Orders

Fallen Angel

Using the map, Harry made his way to Draco's private room in the dungeons. He spotted the blond waiting outside the door.

"I'm glad you came."

"What is it you wanted to tell me?"

"Not out here. Come into my room. This isn't something that should really be discussed in a corridor." Draco opened the door to his room and stepped inside. The dorm was the same size as Harry's dorm, but there was only one bed. Lavishly decorated in greens and silvers, the room was what you would expect from the Malfoy heir. They both made their way over to the chairs by the fire where Harry sat. Draco went to a little cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Bourbon whiskey and poured them both a respectable glass. He walked over to the other seat and sat down, handing one glass over to Harry.

"Should you really have this in school?" Harry asked with a smirk.

"No. But it's my room, I can do what I want, have what I want, and have who I want in here."

Harry laughed then knocked back half of his glass in one. Draco eyes widened. "You clearly have no problem with drink."

"Of course not. The parties in Gryffindor? Not a problem. Besides, I've been sneaking my Uncle's drink when they've all been out. What did you want to tell me?"

"Straight to the point as always." Draco put his drink down on the coffee table between the chairs. "I've done what you asked. I have some recruits."

Harry put his drink down too, and paused, hands clasped. "What did you tell them?"

"That Torva had been in contact with me. I showed the Mark. They were a bit shocked to start with, but they're on side."

"That easy? I doubt it." Harry sat waiting.

Draco stared back. "They didn't want to take part to start with. But when I told them they'd be on the winning side, they soon wanted to know more. They eventually gave in".

"Who were they?"

"Pansy, Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle…"

"Crabbe and Goyle? Really?" Harry leaned forward in his seat. "Those useless idiots?"

"They're not useless." Draco contested. "They may come across as quite dumb, but they're not. They're certainly dedicated. They'll be good assets, I promise."

"I'll take your word for it. Who else."

"Like I said, Pansy and Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle, Astoria and Daphne Greengrass, Theodore Nott, and Millicent Bulstrode."

"OK. Anything else?"

"What can I tell my father?"

"Nothing yet. As for your friends, tell them to meet in the Room of Requirement three weeks today. However, I'll want you to be there before then."

"OK. But what do you mean, nothing yet?"

Harry sighed. "As soon as I have enough members for my team, I intend on introducing you all to the rest of the Death Eaters. Then, I will ask for your mother, father and Severus to stay behind, where I will reveal all of you."

"Is that wise? Revealing us, especially me, to Snape and my parents? What about back at school? Won't revealing us make our lives hell when we have Potions?" Draco asked, quite rightly concerned.

"No. I have a way of dealing with that to make sure that isn't a problem."

"As long as you know what you are doing…"

"I do Draco, do not question me please." Harry snapped, his temper and volume starting to rise.

If Draco felt ashamed, of scared, he never showed it. He just remained sat where he was. "Just expressing my concern. I have every right to be worried. Besides, no offence, but looking at the way you, Granger and Weasley act, you need somebody like me to bring you back down to Earth when you start going over the top."

To this Harry laughed. "Which is one of the reasons why I have chosen you. And one of the reasons why you have a name, and none of the others, apart from myself, Hermione and Ron, will have one. I trust you Draco, and I trust that you will be the one to make me see sense when I go too far."

Draco offered a smile. "That's good to know."

Harry smiled back, but then his smile faded. "Ow…can you feel that?"

"No. What is it?"

"The Mark. It's burning. But if you can't feel it, Tom must just want me. I have to go." He stood up and readied himself to leave.

Draco stood too. "Come back here and tell me what he wants, yeah?"

"Yeah sure. Wish me luck…" He pressed the coin, and disappeared…

xxxxx

Pulling up his hood and placing on his mask, Torva strode up to the Manor, opening the door with a wave of his hand. He made his way swiftly to the drawing room and entered, only to find one Bellatrix Lestrange knelt in front of her master.

Tom looked up at the sound of the opening door, offering a small smirk to the newcomer. "We are done here Bella. You may go."

Said woman stood and spun, her eyes landing on Torva. "Oh I see how it is. Your new pet has arrived, and you throw me away like a filthy squib. Me, your most faithful servant!" She whispered bitterly, her voice trembling with rage.

"Bellatrix, leave. Do not question my judgement."

"No! Master, I am not a half-blood that you can just throw away like that. I am not a mudblood that you can just order abou…"

"Enough." Torva spoke quietly, lowering his hand after silencing the raging woman. He stepped forward, until he was close in her face. "If the Dark Lord tells you to leave, you do not disobey his orders, do you understand? Leave now, before I make you." He threatened her.

Bellatrix glowered at him before finally backing down and leaving, barging into his shoulder as she left.

Once she had gone, Tom locked and silenced the door, and placed up his glamour. Torva also removed his effects. "You wished to see me Tom?"

"Yes. I have a task for you. But first, tell me where you are in terms of collecting new followers."

"Draco has arranged for his friends to meet me, where we shall discuss plans. Before then, I will also contact old members of the DA. Then, we shall go from there."

"As long as you know what you are doing. Are you going to bring them to me to be marked?"

"Actually, I was hoping you'd tell me how to do a mass marking."

"Of course. Link them all first, Granger will know how to do that. Once they are linked you need only mark one. Morsmordre, remember it. You must also remember to unlink them all when you are done, again Granger can do that. Magical auras should not be linked for long periods of time, so make sure you do that."

"Of course. I'll leave major spell casting to Hermione. She's more capable than me."

"Of course. Now, to the original matter at hand. My task for you. There are certain members of the Order who have information about things I want. I want them dealing with. Here is the file on the first person." He waved his hand and a file appeared in mid-air, hovering in front of Harry. "That will tell you everything you need to know. Read through it and deal with them now. In the file is a portkey which will take you there and back only once. Get what information you can out of them, then dispose of them. We do not want them blabbing to Dumbledore about what happens."

"You want me to kill this person?"

"Essentially, yes. But get the information out of them first. Do what you must."

"Of course. Goodnight Tom." Harry pulled his hood and mask back up and left, leaving a smirking Dark Lord behind him.

xxxxx

Upon arrival back to the school, Draco immediately pounced. "What did he want?"

Harry remained secretive. "If everything goes well, you'll find out tomorrow."

"What's that supposed to mean? Harry?"

"Tomorrow. Goodnight Draco." With that he swept out of the room.

**xxxxx**


	8. Heads at Hogwarts

Fallen Angel

**A/N: Honestly, people, I'm disappointed. I'm not one to beg, but the fact this story has barely any reviews upsets me. Please review. I need to know if people like this story, because if they don't, I'll stop writing it. Please review it.**

The next morning, Hogwarts was sat in the Great Hall, eating their breakfast, when suddenly, a bolt of lightning and a clap of thunder ricocheted overhead. From the ceiling fell a box, landing right in front of Harry. Despite knowing what was happening, he schooled his features into that of shock.

"Harry my boy, the box please." Dumbledore ordered.

Harry stood, making his legs shake with fake shock. The Hall was silent, all eyes on their Saviour. Slowly, he approached the Head Table, carrying the box steadily. Once he had reached the front, he placed the box on the table. "Sir, there's a note on the box."

"Read it Harry. What does it say?"

Harry took the note and opened it. Despite already knowing what it said, he read it aloud either way. "'Filius est pars patris, filii, sed non omnia cognoscere patrum fermentum'. What does that mean Sir?"

"'A son is part of a father, but not all sons learn from their fathers' mistakes'. Is there anything else? A name maybe?"

"No name, no. But there is a snake at the bottom."

"Let me see." Dumbledore ordered again, holding out his hand. Harry handed over the note and stepped back whilst Dumbledore examined it. McGonagall and Snape also leaned forward to look. There, at the bottom, was a replica of the snake that was, unbeknown to all the staff except Severus, wrapped around the arm of four of their students. Dumbledore placed the note on the table and carefully lifted the lid of the box, peering inside and gasping at the sight. Snape's face went white, and McGonagall whispered an 'Oh Merlin'.

"Who is it Albus?"

"This, Minerva, is the head of one Geraint Dearborn, son of Caradoc Dearborn. Geraint was an ally of the Order working in the Ministry. An Unspeakable. I'm guessing, and my guesses are quite frequently right, that this," he pulled out another piece of parchment, this time with coordinates on it, "is the location of the rest of the poor boy's body. Minerva, contact the aurors, tell them where to find him. Severus, contact Geraint's remaining family, tell them what has happened. The rest of you, I suggest you go to your dorms. Classes are cancelled for the day. Go, and stay together. Harry, you too."

Harry nodded and turned away to grab his things, catching Draco's eye and indicating that the blond follow him. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Draco made their way to the Room of Requirement, which had been replicated into a small version of the Gryffindor common room. Harry turned to his friends. "Go on then, hit me with what you've got."

"What the hell is going on? What did he ask of you?" Draco asked first.

"Tom asked a favour of me. I have a feeling there will be many more and that more of you will be asked to carry out these tasks also. There are certain members of the Order who know information that Tom needs. My job was to get that information, and dispose of the person, so that he didn't go blabbing to Dumbledore."

"Who was he?" Ron asked.

"Geraint Dearborn. He was an Unspeakable in the Ministry, and son of one of the original members of the Order who was killed. Geraint knew of Horcruxes, and that Dumbledore also knows. He knew that Dumbledore is planning to destroy them throughout the year. Tom needed to know this information so that he can move them before Dumbledore gets to them."

"Haven't two of the Horcruxes already been destroyed?"

"Yes. The diary, and the ring. However, there are five more, and even if Dumbledore manages to find out what and where they all are, he won't be able to destroy them all."

"Why?"

"Because he won't kill me."

A gasp went around the little congregation. "What do you mean he won't kill you?" Neville asked.

"I mean, Neville, that this," he lifted his hair to show his scar, "is not just a curse scar. On the night my parents were killed, part of Tom's soul separated. That's what happens when you kill somebody. Your soul splits in two. The piece of soul that broke off latched itself onto the only other living thing in the room. There is a reason why I can speak to snakes. There is a reason why I can see into Tom's head. There is a reason why I was almost sorted into Slytherin. I am the final horcrux. However, being Dumbledore's Golden Boy, I won't be killed. I will die, but at the hands of Tom when I rebel. But even then I won't properly die. He'll just kill the part of him in me."

"So what? When the time comes, you're going to let Tom kill you?" Hermione asked nervously.

"Yes. But like I said, I won't die. Just the horcrux in me."

The mini audience sat in shock, contemplating what had just been told to them. Harry would have to stand in front of Voldemort, and be killed. But he would come back. As the last horcrux, his death would make Voldemort mortal, and he could be killed.

Draco bought the conversation back on track. "So did you get the information you needed?"

"Yes. Dearborn told me exactly which horcrux Dumbledore is going after next."

"But Dumbledore hasn't even told you what he's doing. How come Dearborn knew?" Ron asked.

"Good question. But I do have an answer. Dearborn was an Unspeakable. He could be trusted. And with his job, Dumbledore could get him to help him find what he needs; memories and locations for the horcruxes, as well as any history he needs on Tom."

"Still, it's strange that he trusted someone who's not even a member of the Order over you."

"One of the reasons why I'm going against him. The old fool is going insane." Harry sat down in the remaining seat next to Draco. "Hermione, how easy is it for you to make copies of these?" He asked, pulling out his galleon.

"Pretty easy. Why, how many more do you need?"

"Enough for all the Slytherins who may join. Draco, how many were interested did you say?"

"Pansy, Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, Astoria, Daphne, Theo and Millie."

"So including you that's nine. Another nine Hermione please." He asked, passing his coin over.

She took it with a smile and pointed her wand at it. "Geminio." Within seconds, nine duplicates of the spell had appeared. She handed all nine of them over, along with Harry's original, which he pocketed.

"Draco, hand these over to your friends. Tell them that they are means of communication and that when they have a message, the coin will become hot. Keep one for yourself." He passed the coins over as he spoke.

"Of course." He pocketed the coins. "Is there anything else?"

"No. Not until the time. We need to get back to our common rooms before we're found. Make sure you're not seen Draco."

"I won't." He got up and as he went to the door, he turned back. "I find that blending into the background is the easiest way." He tapped himself on the head and within seconds became part of the background around him. He winked and disappeared through the door- well, the moving wall in the shape of Draco did. Harry laughed and cast the spell on himself, something the other three copied. Quietly, they made their way over to their common room and made themselves comfortable, acting as if nothing had happened. Harry surveyed the room around him. Nine students, fifteen if you included the Gryffindor members that had left last year, and not including Harry, Ron and Hermione, were in the DA last year, so should still have their coins on them. One of them was too young, so Harry would have to send him away. The other members, the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs may need a bit of convincing, but Harry was sure he'd do it. The Slytherins- they were a different matter altogether. They would either say no when they found out it was him, or they would say yes to save their own skin. Harry hoped they would say yes. After all, the more the better.

**xxxxx**


	9. Recruitment

Fallen Angel

The three weeks went by in a flash, and pretty soon it was time for the meeting. Draco had gone to fetch his friends, while the rest of the old DA were making their own way to the Room of Requirement. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville were already there, except the former three were hiding in the shadows with their hoods up. Neville was waiting to greet those who arrived. Eventually, the door opened and the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff members, as well as the ones that had already left the school, walked in.

"Hello Neville." Luna greeted him as they walked (well, Luna floated) in. "Where's Harry, Ron and Hermione?"

"They've gone to do something. They'll be back shortly. They said to make yourselves comfortable. Also, I'm sorry Dennis, but Harry says that you're a bit too young for this one this time. You have to go back to the common room." He gestured to the beanbags scattered across the room, repeating word for word what he had been told to say. They all nodded and sat, starting to make pointless chatter, except for Dennis.

"I'm not too young! I was in the DA last year!"

"Den, if Harry says you can't be here, you can't be here. Go." Colin ordered his younger brother. Dennis gave him a long stare before leaving.

Not long after, the door opened again. They all turned their heads, expecting to see the not-so-Golden trio, when Pansy walked in, followed by Blaise, Astoria and Daphne, Theodore, Millicent, Crabbe, Goyle and finally Draco.

"What the hell? What are you doing here?" Justin Finch-Fletchley demanded.

"We were asked to come here Finch-Fletchley. Why? Do you have a problem with that?" Draco said calmly, but gripping his wand slightly in his robes, just in case.

"Yeah, actually. Harry might have made friends with you, but that doesn't mean the rest of us have too."

Draco turned to his friends. "Crabbe, Goyle stand in front of the door so this idiot can't run away. Pansy, Blaise, Tor, Daph, Theo and Millie, sit down please. This isn't your fight." He told them all, not taking his eyes off the Hufflepuff.

"Nor is it yours. Draco, back down. The Hufflypuffly isn't worth it." Pansy said, placing her hand on his arm as a form of restraint while the others did as they were told.

"Pansy. Sit." He turns his head slightly towards her, but his eyes never left the boy across the room from him. She huffed and did as she was told, sitting down with the other girls. Draco meanwhile stepped forward so he was a few feet away from Justin, who had pulled his wand out. "If you have a problem with me and my friends being here, Finch-Fletchley, I suggest you take up with Harry, as he was the one who made friends with us first."

"Oh don't worry, I will." Justin raised his wand, preparing for a battle. "But I'll deal with you first."

"Enough." A stern, but quiet voice sounded from the shadows. All heads turned that way. From the shadows stepped three hooded, masked figures, standing in formation. All went quiet, and Justin sat back down in fright. Draco, however, remained standing.

"Torva. Crimson Killer. Mastermind." He nodded to each of them and went to stand with them, taking his place at Torva's left as Crimson Killer fell to the back. With a wave of his wand, he pulled up his hood and own mask, becoming Argentum Lingua once more.

The congregation was in shock. "Draco, you're a Dead Assassin?" Luna asked timidly.

"Yes. Rather this than a Death Eater." He looked to his friends. Despite knowing who he was, they still looked mildly shocked, as if this was their first confirmation.

Ginny stood up and held her wand firm. "Who are you and how the hell did you get in here?"

"Gin, please, put your wand down. We've been here all the time." Torva replied quietly.

Recognition dawned on her face. "The only person who calls me Gin is…Harry?" she asked, lowering her wand.

With one wave, Harry dropped the masks and hoods, revealing his, Draco's Hermione's and Ron's identities once again. "Yes. It's me. Us in fact."

"What the hell Harry? Ron, Hermione? What the hell are you playing at?" Seamus piped up.

"It isn't just those four." Neville said, standing up and taking his place next to Ron.

"Neville! Not you too mate?" Fred questioned.

"Yeah mate, not you as well?" George added.

"Actually yes. Now if you all shut up, Harry will give you the answers you clearly want."

"Thank you Neville. Right," he sat on one of the beanbags by his feet, Ron and Hermione dropping beside him, Neville going back to his original seat next to Seamus and Dean, and Draco went and sat by Blaise, waving Crabbe and Goyle over as he went. Harry continued, "I'll tell you the same as what I told Neville. But first, let me show you." He lifted his right sleeve to show them all his Mark. On cue, Ron, Hermione and Draco showed their also.

"That's not the Dark Mark. I know what that looks like, my Daddy told me and showed me pictures of it." Hannah Abbott stated, proud of herself so much she was cocky.

"No it isn't. It's a form of it. And lose the cockiness Hannah. If, in the end, you decide to join us, an attitude like that will not be well received." She had the decency to blush and bow her head. "Now then, over the past years, I have come to the realisation that Dumbledore is a manipulative bastard who uses people as pawns, especially me, to get what he wants. It is because of him that Sirius died just before the summer. No more will I serve him, no more will I be his pet. My aim, our aim, is to bring him down. If that means siding with Tom for the time being, then so be it. However, when the time comes, I will turn against Tom, and I will kill him also. Then, I shall rise to the top, and make the changes that need to be made. I am gathering recruits. My question to you is this: will you join me also?"

"We'll join you Harry!" Fred agreed.

"Yeah, we're always on your side, aren't we Gred?"

"We certainly are Forge. Lee, you with us?"

The dark-haired boy nodded. "Course. I'm with you Harry."

"And with our three brains combined…"

"…we can make you all sorts of weapons."

"We can modify the Skiving Snackboxes…

"…or the fireworks…"

"Boys, calm down." Harry laughed, stopping the twins in the middle of their excitement. "Thank you. Anybody else?"

Cho put her hand up. "I will Harry. I'm _always_ on your side." She said flirtingly, to the irritation of both Ginny and Draco.

"Thank you Cho. Seamus, Dean? You in?"

"I'm in." Dean agreed.

"I think ya mental Harry, but I'm in. I've learnt my lesson from last time and not believing you." Seamus added.

"Thanks mate. Ladies? Padma, Pavarti, Lavender?"

"Always Harry." Pavarti said on behalf of the three of them.

"We'll join as well Harry!" Colin shouted, indicating him, Ginny and Luna.

"No. Not you three. You're too young."

"If we're too young, then why did you tell us?" Luna asked, in her dreamy voice.

"Because I trust you three not to say anything."

"Then clearly we're old enough."

"No Gin. There is every chance you might die…"

"The same as there's every chance you might die! Besides, there's a possibility every day that we're going to die. You saw us last year, shut up Ron, I'm talking! And don't you two try to interrupt either!" She pointed at her three brothers, who were about to dissuade her. "I'm fed up, as I'm sure Luna and Colin are as well, of being told we're too young to do anything. Alright, I don't agree with you siding with Voldemort. But we're on your side Harry. We're bloody good fighters, you saw us last year, as I was going to say before I was rudely interrupted by my dear brother. If it's a case of we're too young, then the only people technically old enough are Fred, George, Lee, Angelina, Alicia, Marietta and Katie, as they are the only ones in this room of age. Harry, who cares how old we are? Three extra fighters isn't going to hurt."

"Yes, but if something does happen to you, it will be my fault for allowing you in. It's not that I don't think you aren't competent, it isn't that at all, I have every faith in the three of you. It's the fact that you have your whole lives ahead of you. I don't want to rip that away."

"As do we. We have our whole lives ahead of us, yet you're letting us join." Dean stated. "Come on Harry, where's the harm?"

The Gryffindor heaved a big sigh. "Fine. You three can join. But it is at your own risk." Ron, Fred and George started to protest, but were silenced by a look from their leader. "They're right. If they're old enough to join the DA last year, and if they're old enough for me to trust them, then they're old enough to join up properly. But I won't take responsibility for them. I know you're just looking out for your little sister, but it's time you let her grow up."

Ron sat dumbfounded for a moment before nodding in agreement. Harry in turn turned to Colin.

"However, Colin, you cannot tell Dennis about this. He is a child, too young to join. He's an innocent in this. Do not tell him." The younger Gryffindor nodded. "Anybody else?"

"We'll do it. We're not too happy, but we'll do it. We're always on your side Harry." Angelina piped up, voicing hers, Katie's and Alicia's opinions.

"Thank you." At that moment, Marietta put up her hand. "Yes Marietta?"

"Can I join?" She asked, unsure.

"No. You betrayed us to Umbridge last year with a childish group. I can't trust you this year, but because you've followed Cho here, and heard everything, we cannot just let you go either. Hermione…"

The bushy haired girl stood up and made her way over to the auburn-haired girl. "Sorry Marietta, but we can't have you going blabbing again now, can we?" She pointed her wand at the centre of the girl's forehead. Silently, she began a charm. Seconds later, she lowered her wand.

"Did you just cast a Fidelius on me?" Marietta asked, shocked.

"Yes. Better than the boils from last year." With that, Hermione sat back down.

"I wouldn't get comfortable yet though Granger, if I was you." Terry Boot told her. "I still have some questions. Just what does joining you entail? What do we have to do?"

Harry had expected at least one person to ask this, so prepared himself to give the answer he had planned. "All you will have to do is stay on my side and remain loyal. If I, or the Dark Lord, ask something specific of you, you will have to do it without question. I have asked that the Death Eaters treat you as one of their own, so please treat them as such. Do not reveal yourselves to them. Also, once you take this Mark, there will be no turning back. If, once you take it, you decide to defect, and you go against me, you will make an enemy out of me. However, if you pull out now, before you take it, I will do everything in my power to protect you. You will be an innocent."

"So you're basically saying we'll be enslaved to you for the rest of our lives?" Michael Corner asked, with Anthony Goldstein, Ernie MacMillan, Susan and Hannah all nodding in agreement.

"No. You'll still have your free will. If we directly ask you to do something, you cannot refuse. However, unless stated otherwise, you'll have free reign on the task we give you." At the word 'task', Harry slid his eyes over to Draco briefly, who narrowed his slightly in return. "If we give a task to you all generally, you may pull out if you wish."

"So you're saying we have to obey You-Know-Who as well?" Justin Finch-Fletchley asked, distaste clear in his voice.

"Yes. You obey him, but you answer to me. You will treat him with the same amount of respect you will me. Any punishments, however, will be given out by me."

"Will we have to work with His Death eaters?"

"Yes."

"Is Malfoy a Death Eater?" Justin asked outright. Harry visibly became angry, but never got his chance to speak.

"No. But I know how to fight like one. Want proof?" Draco challenged him.

"Is that a threat Malfoy?"

"Enough." Harry ordered. Draco immediately backed down, his eyes still shining rage as they bore straight into the back of the Hufflepuff's head, which had turned back to the leader. "That is another things I will not accept. How are we to fight the others if we fight amongst ourselves? Grow up." Harry barked at him. "Draco, lift up your sleeve. Show him. And don't provoke him into a fight."

Draco obeyed. Smirking, he lifted his left sleeve to show his bear forearm. Once everyone had had a good look at it, he rolled his sleeve back down and turned his eyes back to the Ravenclaw boys and Hufflepuff girls. "Well, do you have any more questions for Harry? Or has your thirst for knowledge been appeased?"

Hannah briefly looked at him, then looked at Susan. "We know enough." She turned to Harry. "We're in."

"Thank you girls. Michael, Anthony, Terry, Ernie? You in?" They nodded. "Good. Justin? Zach?"

"I most certainly am not! You can put that Fidelius Charm on me as well Granger. No way in Hell am I participating in this." Zacharis disagreed.

"Fine. Hermione." The girl cast the spell again, binding the Hufflepuff in an invisible, legal, silencing contract. Once she had sat back down, Harry spoke again. "Justin?"

"I don't know Harry. I believe you, but I don't think I will be able to work with Him, nor His Death Eaters. I certainly don't believe I'll be able to work with Slytherins."

"Justin, we'll be working with Him for as long as we have to, to be able to get to our goal. However, we won't be working for Him. Technically, you'll have no ties to him. And by being on my side, our side, you'll be safe from any attacks, which, no offense, would surely be beneficial to you and the rest of the Muggleborns in here simply because of your blood status. If you choose not to, I will do my best to protect you, but there will be no guarantees that you won't be targeted."

"Can I think about it?"

"Of course, but you can't take long." He then turned to the Slytherins. "Pansy, Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, Astoria, Daphne, Theodore and Millicent. I shall leave this one to Draco."

The blond nodded his thanks to the Gryffindor before turning to his friends. "The decision you're about to make is the same I had to make. Let me tell you how I thought of it. There are three evils, in my eyes. One, we side with the Dark Lord, and become enslaved to him for life, with no guarantee of being safe. Two, we get 'taken in' by Dumbledore, and get brainwashed into believing a pack of lies, again, with no promise of safety. Three, there's Harry. We side with Harry, we'll be safe. The Dark Lord has promised not to harm any of us who side with him, and Dumbledore would not hurt any friends of his because he wouldn't want to lose his puppet. We will always be on the winning side, and Harry has promised me that when he wins, he will bring us all to the top with him. I chose the lesser of the three evils, because at the time, Harry was an enemy. Now, he is an ally."

"But Draco, this goes against everything we have ever been brought up to know." Pansy reminded him.

"Pansy, the time for listening to our mother's and father's is gone. We have to make our own way in the world now. We're all sixteen, nearly seventeen. We're old enough to make our own decisions now."

"We'll go with you Draco. We're in Potter." Goyle said, jerking a thumb between himself and Crabbe.

Astoria, meanwhile, was having an argument with her sister. "No Daphne, I will not have you put yourself in harm's way!"

"Tor, I'm in the same year as Ginny, Luna and Colin. The same year as my friends! (It was true. Daphne was the only Slytherin friend that Ginny, Luna and Colin had.) If they can enter, why can't I? Besides, I turn sixteen next month anyway, so I'll be the same age as Harry! I'm not leaving your side Sis. We've already lost Mother and Father to the Dark Lord. I do not want to lose you as well. I'm staying by your side. I'm in Harry." She told him before her sister could interrupt. He in turn nodded.

"Daphne! Fine. I'll join as well Harry, but only to keep an eye on my sister." He, again, nodded in response.

Now Theodore Nott, who'd always had a crush on Astoria, would do anything for her, so joined up as well. Millicent Bulstrode, because she had a crush on Goyle, did the same.

That left Pansy and Blaise. Blaise immediately said yes, but Pansy was still unsure, biting her lip in worry. Draco questioned her on this. "Pansy, what is there to be worried about?"

"My parents Draco. I'm worried what will become of them."

Harry took the opportunity to speak. "Your parents, what are their names?"

"Rose and Cassius."

"I don't think they're Death Eaters." Ron said, thinking back to all the Death Eaters who had been present the first time they were introduced.

"They aren't. That's why I'm worried what will become of them."

"Pansy, I'll do the best I can to keep them safe. OK?" Harry reassured her. She nodded. "So, are you in?"

She sighed. "I'm in. But you better keep good on your promise Potter. Or so help me, I'll make your fury look tame."

"Trust me, she would." Draco cheekily agreed, earning himself a slap on the arm and a laugh from his best friend.

Harry chuckled also. "Excellent. Justin, that leaves you. I need an answer now."

The boy looked troubled for a moment, before seemingly coming to a conclusion. "Fine. But I'm not very happy about it."

Harry nodded, before turning once again to Hermione. "Can you do a spell that will combine the auras of everyone who needs to be marked?"

"I can, but I can't do it for long."

"I know, but I don't need long."

"OK. I need everyone who is being marked to stand in a line. Before I do, shouldn't everybody pledge their allegiance to you?"

"Yes of course." Harry moved to the start of the line, Fred. "You need to pledge allegiance to me. You all have to do it, obviously putting your own name in place. Fred, repeat after me. I, Frederick Gideon Weasley…"

"I, Frederick Gideon Weasley…"

"…do solemnly pledge my allegiance to you, Harry James Potter…"

"…do solemnly pledge my allegiance to you, Harry James Potter…"

"…and I do promise that my loyalties shall lie, from now until I die, to you."

"Hey, that rhymes. Sorry. …and I do promise that my loyalties shall lie, from now until I die, to you."

"I will not lie to you, nor shall I deceive you, or any of my associates."

"I will not lie to you, nor shall I deceive you, or any of my associates."

"Cor meum tibi offero domine prompte et sincere."

"Er, sorry Harry, but what does that mean?"

"It means, 'my heart I offer to you Lord promptly and sincerely'. It's another way of pledging your allegiance. Now please, just say it."

"Sorry. Cor meum tibi offero domine prompte et sincere."

"This I do solemnly swear.

"This I do solemnly swear."

"Good. Hermione, the spell."

The girl pointed her wand directly at the twin's heart. "Aura Adiungunt." _Adjoin_ _Aura_. A bright white light shone from Fred's heart, as if coming directly from his soul, and seemed to seep straight into Hermione's wand. Harry moved down the line, getting each and every member to pledge their allegiance to him. Each time they did, Hermione moved her wand to the heart of every new member and the white light joined with the aura of the next person, each time changing colour to the aura of that person.

Once he reached the end, Harry turned to the last person, Neville, and asked him to roll up his right sleeve. "Now, none of you will feel any pain, it doesn't hurt. All you will feel is the sensation of a snake crawling up your arm." He placed his wand on Neville's right bicep and whispered the spell. "Morsmordre." Simultaneously, thirty-one snakes slithered their way up and around the right biceps of the new recruits, before settling into position. Quickly, Hermione ended the charm on their auras as Harry asked them to all stand in a half circle around him. "Do you all have your fake Galleons on you?" They all nodded in response. "Good. Not only will they feel warm when you have a message, but they are now portkeys. Pressing them slightly in the middle will take to you to the destination you need to go. They have been designed to resist the enchantments around the school, and Dumbledore doesn't know that we leave. They are only to be used for your jobs as Dead Assassins. They only activate when needed, and will take you to the location you need, and then back to the exact same spot you leave. After that, they deactivate as portkeys until the next time. Do not abuse them. In two days' time, as the clock strikes one on Thursday morning, we will all meet here, and I will take you all to see the Dark Lord, where you shall also be introduced to the other Death Eaters. Now go, back to the common rooms, before people start to look for you. Colin, remember, don't tell your brother." He sent them away, and shortly after, only Harry, Ron and Hermione were left.

"I'm not happy about you letting my sister join Harry."

"I know Ron. But at least you can keep an eye on her."

"I suppose. Hermione, did you put the spells on all their wands, for their masks and cloaks?"

She turned to him, a surprised look on her face. "Of course I have. I'm surprised you even needed to ask…"

Harry laughed as his two best friends started to bicker. They really were like an old married couple. Harry hoped they would get together soon. The sexual tension was almost suffocating…

**xxxxx**


	10. Reunion

Fallen Angel

**A/N: Thank you to those who have reviewed, and for tam418 for pointing something out to me.**

Thursday morning rolled around, and at precisely one am, the new team of Dead Assassins apparated to the front gates of Malfoy Manor.

"All of you, put up your hoods and masks. Don't speak, and don't take them down until I say." They all obeyed their leader, and the group of 35 made their way to the main living room, where Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters awaited them.

"Ah, Torva, right on time. My friends, these are the new Dead Assassins. You all remember Torva, Crimson Killer, and Mastermind. The one in formation with them is Argentum Lingua. As you can see, like yourselves, they each have a mask. Those in white masks have no name. Torva is the green mask, Crimson Killer is the blood red, Mastermind is the pure gold, and Argentum Lingua is the icy blue. You will treat them as you treat each other, and you will obey Torva as you do me. There may come a time when you will have to work alongside them. You will do so with the upmost professionalism. No questions. Get used to them. You may be seeing them an awful lot. Dismissed. Severus, Lucius, Narcissa, wait behind." The Death Eaters bowed their heads to their Lord and all but the three asked to remain, and the Assassins left, closing the door behind them. Severus, Lucius and Narcissa knelt in front of Voldemort.

"My Lord?" Severus asked.

Voldemort said nothing. He simply cast his glamour, de-aging himself, and stood back, allowing Harry, disguised as Torva, to step forward. "When I joined Tom, I asked him if I could have sole control over the three of you. He said no. But I still wish for you, Lucius and Narcissa, to know who I am, and for the three of you to know who we all are. Before I reveal my face, however, I wish for you to see my, foot soldiers, as I like to call them." He turned to those in the white masks. "Reveal yourselves."

The thirty one dropped their hoods and masks, showing their faces to the three adults in front of them.

"Gryffindors? Hufflepuffs? Ravenclaws?" Severus was in shock.

"Pansy? Blaise?" Narcissa surveyed the faces she recognised, desperately trying to find out what had become of her son.

"Mudbloods! Blood Traitors! You have bought mudbloods and blood traitors into our group?" Lucius was angry.

Torva stepped forward and slapped the Malfoy patriarch across the face. "Don't you dare use those vile words in front of me, or in conversation, again, do you understand? There is no difference in a witch or wizard based on their background. We are all the same. If anything, muggle borns are starting to outnumber pure bloods like yourself. And if it wasn't for the '_blood traitors_'," he spat the word, "purebloods would have died out completely, so show them a bit more respect!" Lucius didn't answer.

Voldemort stepped forward, Nagini at his feet. "Lucius, I do believe you were just asked a question. You would do well to answer it."

"Yes my Lord. I understand."

"Good." He stepped back once more.

Torva, however, was no so easily satisfied. He slapped Lucius again, this time across the other side of his face. "Remember that next time. And when I speak to you, you will show me respect, and look me in the eye! Or do I have to get Bellatrix to teach you respect? I have heard she is very handy with the Cruciatus Curse."

"No my Lord."

"You do not need to use 'Lord' when addressing me. Torva will do. Now, to reveal us four. Argentum Lingua, show them your true face. I'm sure they will be pleased to know you are safe.

The boy in question dropped his effects and once again became Draco, much to the delight of Narcissa, who abandoned all grace and pureblood mannerisms as she ran forward to engulf her son in a hug. "Mother." He greeted her, returning the hug.

"Oh Draco, I'm glad you're OK. I have missed you."

"I have missed you too. Father." He acknowledged, as Lucius stepped forward. The Malfoy patriarch nodded his head, before pulling his son into a hug also. To everyone who was not a Slytherin, this show of affection between the three Malfoys was a bit of a shock, and it certainly changed some of the opinions of them.

Torva waited until they had exchanged pleasantries before interrupting. "And now, you will see the faces of us three." First Ron dropped his hood and mask, then Hermione, and finally Harry himself.

Lucius' face set in stone. "Potter."

"Lucius."

"How dare you order me around like you just did? You are a child. I could quite easily kill you right now." He drew his wand the same time that thirty-four other wands were drawn towards him.

Harry, having not drawn his wand, simply stepped forward. Grasping the tip of the wand pointed directly between his eyes, he plainly said, "I wouldn't do that if I was you," before turning the wand away from himself. "I am your leader, whether you like it or not. You may not answer to me, but you will obey me, and treat me the same as you do Tom. I'm willing to help you. I'm even willing to do what I can to get you out of Azkaban when the time comes, because trust me, it will. We may have started badly, but I'm still willing to help you. Remember that when you talk to me."

Severus took his chance to speak after this exchange. "Potter, what are you thinking? Do you not realise that Dumbledore is surely going to notice _something_?"

Harry turned to his teacher. "Why do you think I have chosen the name Dead Assassins? I can shorten it to DA. The old fool will still think I have the Defence group going, especially since nearly every member here is an ex-member of the group. That brings me on to something actually. You better change the way you treat us in your classes."

The Potions master's eyes narrowed. "Are you telling me what to do in my own classroom Potter?"

"Yes, Severus Tobias Snape, I am. You mess with any of my team, you mess with me. I know ways of killing you that even Tom here doesn't. I am probably one of only a few people that knows how to kill you, without leaving any evidence whatsoever. I can cause you the most excruciating pain, without having to use my wand. So you may want to think twice before treating us like shit, or in the case of your own house, like the sun shines out of their arses. Equality. That is what I am aiming towards. And if kids are taught it in school, it makes it a hell of a lot easier to gain when they become adults."

Harry's mini-speech had left even the stone-faced Snape frightened, and he immediately backed down.

Tom stepped forward once more. "If there is no more questions, I would like to speak to Harry and his team alone. Lucius, Narcissa, Severus, you are dismissed." They bowed and left, closing the door behind them. "Now then, I'm sure Harry has told you that you may be required to perform some tasks for me. However, there is still one problem. One thing the Ministry fails to tell you, is that when you turn 17, the trace on you may break, but it is still present in your wands. Wand makers are required, by law, to add them to each individual wand, and then notify the Ministry to who they have sold which wand. Which means that when you perform your tasks, the ministry will know it's you because believe me, with the spells you may have to use, you will alert them to what you are doing. Now I know how many there are of you, I can talk to one of my associates, a wand maker no less, and ask him to make you wands without traces, as best a replica to the one you currently own as possible. I will call you when I have them and give them to you when you need them. Only use them when you need to do a spell you need no-one to know about it. You do not use them in school. Understood? Good, now go, get back to the school before you are discovered to be missing."

They bowed and left the room, but not before pulling up their hoods once more, in case their faces were seen by other Death Eaters hanging around.

xxxxx

They returned back to the Room of Requirement, and Harry immediately sent them to their dormitories to get some rest.

Neville came over to Harry just before he left. "I don't like her Harry. I don't like Bellatrix."

Harry put an arm on his friend's shoulder. "I know you don't mate, I know. I understand. When the time comes to take down Voldemort and his Death Eaters, I'll leave her to you. Let you get the revenge you deserve."

"Thanks mate. Goodnight Harry." He replied with a wave as he left.

"Goodnight Neville. Are you OK Draco?"

The blond had been waiting for them all to leave, and was still waiting for Ron and Hermione to go. "I want to speak to you, alone."

"Oh, sure. Hermione, Ron, go. I'll be back soon, I promise." They nodded and left, leaving the two boys alone. "What is it?"

"First, we need the Room to change, so we have to go outside for a moment." They stepped outside and Draco changed the Room.

Stepping back in, Harry was amazed to see that the Room had manifested itself into a huge storage room. There were broken and forgotten items everywhere. Draco led them both through the maze of items, including a very expensive tiara with a sapphire in the centre, until they reached what appeared to be a big wardrobe. "What's this?" Harry asked.

"It's a Vanishing Cabinet. Its twin is in Borgin and Burke's. It's the only way in and out of the castle without having to step outside of the anti-apparition borders, or without using a portkey, two ways which would both create attention. But it's broke. I'm trying to fix it, in the hope to use it."

"Well we'll help you fix it. Use it for what?"

"I thought you might ask. And I'll use it to get Death Eaters into the school. Unless you plan on sharing your secret of these fake Galleons." Draco added with a smirk.

The Gryffindor chuckled. "No chance. That's our little secret."

"You make it sound like a dirty little secret."

"Only if you want it to be." Harry replied, raking his eyes up and down the blond. "So you want to use it to bring Death Eaters into the school. As back up I presume for when you go through with your task?"

"Yes."

"You may not need back up Draco. I'll be present, as Torva of course. And anyway, after I'm through with you, you'll be more than powerful enough to take down Dumbledore."

Draco turned to face the Gryffindor slightly, stepping towards him. "Why, what do you plan on doing to me?" He replied huskily, flirting.

Harry stared him back in the eyes, smirking so slightly. "Nothing like that. Only if you'll let me. What I mean is that every first year that enters this school has a magical block put on his or her magic by Dumbledore himself, meaning that they can never reach their full potential. The bastard does this because he is afraid of one student realising that they are more powerful than him and killing him. The truth is, even the first years, without any proper training, could do it if they so wished. So he blocks their magic to save his own skin. I plan on breaking that block on all of you, and training you into controlling it and use it to its maximum. I have done it on my own, Hermione's and Ron's, so I am more than confident I can do it to you all. That is what I mean."

"_Sure_ you do." He laughed. "Na, I'm only messing. I know you could. Oh by the way," Draco leaned forward, put and hand on the other boy's chest and came so close that their lips were almost touching, but pulled away before they could and whispered in the other boy's ear, "you're sexy when you're being all powerful." He pulled away with a smirk on his face, winked at the Gryffindor, and walked away, leave a very frustrated, and very aroused, Harry alone.

"Fucking bastard." Harry said to himself, still smirking. He left the Room shortly after, determined to get what he wanted, because after that little stunt, he was certain that Draco felt the same.

**xxxxx**


	11. Silver and Fire

Fallen Angel

_I know who you are, you know who you are, so let's skip using your name, shall we?_

_I know what you're up to. I know your game. I know how you plan to use the children in your school as pawns in your ultimate trip to the top. It isn't fair. Condemnant quod non intellegunt. They condemn what they do not understand. The students, especially the younger ones, wouldn't realise what you were doing to them. Children should not be involved in war. I will find you, and I will stop you. Until I do, the killings will continue. In fact, you should know of the next one quiet well. Elphias Dodge. You really should be more careful who you entrust with such important information._

_If you are wondering who I am, you'll have to wait a little longer. Donee lucis relinquit oculis vestris. Until the light leaves your eyes, old man._

_Torva._

Albus Dumbledore stared at the letter in his hands. How did this Torva know of his plans? How did he know which members of the Order had been told his secrets? He had to find out who this Torva was, and he had to have him removed. Just then, there was a knock at the door and in walked Winky. "Professor Mr Dumbledore Sir, Winky was told to give this to you Sir, as soon as possible. Winky knew Mr Dumbledore Sir was not to be disturbed, but the man insisted. Has Winky done right Professor Mr Dumbledore Sir?"

"No, no. Winky has done good. I wonder, could you tell me, what did this man look like?"

"Winky does not know Sir, the man wore a black cloak and a mask."

"OK, Winky, thank you. You may go."

"Of course Professor Mr Dumbledore Sir." She bowed and backed out, closing the door behind her, leaving a big black box behind. He opened the box cautiously, wary of what was inside. What he did not expect was to find the remains of a friend he had held dear, broken, mangled, and squashed into the box, with bits of flesh hanging off here and there. Another note was left with the body.

_Torva left the last one. I left this one. I normally have a way with words, but you must have scared Dogbreath Dodge well. Luckily, I know how to make them talk. Silver does that to you, you see. If used properly, one drop on the tongue can infect the insides so bad the veins start to burn. It's all in my name._

_Sequenti tempore…_

_Argentum Lingua._

Another one. Who could they be? He had to find out. But it could wait. For now, he had a lesson with Harry to prepare, and a Horcrux to find…

xxxxx

The first Hogsmeade trip of the year came around quicker than most people were expecting. Harry, Ron and Hermione were out with Ginny Neville and Luna, on their way to meet up with Draco, Pansy, Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle in the Three Broomsticks when Ron stepped away from them. "You three go ahead, I just need to pop into Diagon alley, go and see Fred and George about that voice changing spell."

"You sure you don't want me to do it Ron?"

"No thanks Harry mate. They're my brothers, I'm sure I can handle them." He replied, grinning.

"Don't spend too much in there if you must buy anything. Mum will kill you if you do." Ginny warned him.

"Sis, this is strictly business. I'll be good. See you later." He stepped into the Post Office and used their floo, taking himself to The Leaky Cauldron. The youngest Weasley male weaved his way around the shoppers until he was in his brothers' shop. He made his way over to the cash register and spoke to the young blonde behind it. "Verity, do you know where my brothers are?"

However, before she could answer, the twins appeared behind him. "Looking for us dear brother?" the asked in unison.

"Yes. I need to discuss some business with you." Ron told them, rubbing his arm where his tattoo was in what he hoped was an inconspicuous way, praying that his brothers got the message.

They did. "Ah. Come with us." George told him, whilst Fred shouted over to Verity.

"Watch the fort, yeah? Come on Ron."

The twins led the way up to their flat, and once the three were inside, Fred locked the door and put up a silencer. "OK Ron, what is it?"

"Have you perfected those voice changer charms yet?"

"Yeah why?"

"Well, I thought, and Harry agreed, that they could be added to the masks, so that people won't be able to distinguish us from our voices."

"I see. Fair enough. The spell is 'Non Audieritis Me'. Point it at the masks whilst they are being worn, and it will work. Why does Harry want it now anyway? He seems to be doing just fine on his own." George asked.

"Yeah, but the only people who have heard him speak as Torva are the people who know that he is Torva. He needs it for when he speaking to people he doesn't want to find out who he is."

"Oh OK. But yeah, use the spell, and it will disguise your voice."

"Thanks you two. Can I borrow your floo?"

"Course you can."

"Thanks. I'll see you around yeah?"

"Yeah no probs. Bye brother." The twins replied in unison as Ron's form disappeared in the flames.

xxxxx

"Have they done it yet?" Harry asked as soon as Ron was sat back in the Three Broomsticks.

"Yeah. Non Audieritis Me. Point it at the masks and it will work, apparently."

"OK. I'll send that to everyone soon via the coins and tell them to make sure it is done as soon as possible." Harry commented.

For the rest of the day, the group of the friends sat in the pub drinking and chatting, slowly being joined by their friends. None of them got drunk, and as Pansy viewed this as a bad thing, she suggested that, after dinner, they meet up in the Room of Requirement for an impromptu party. So that's what they did. They partied well into the night, until, at midnight, they all simultaneously felt the stinging on their upper right arm. They were all being called.

"All of you, sober up, quickly. We cannot go to his summons like this, and we cannot take too long getting there either. So hurry up!" Harry ordered, whilst planting the location of the Manor into each of the coins. Once they were sober, they all disappeared, reappearing in front of the Manor, and being joined by their fellow members, who had already left school. Hoods up, masks on, they made their way up to the meeting room, where Lord Voldemort was awaiting them.

"Last one in, lock and silence the door." He ordered. Once his command had been followed, he put up his glamour, encouraging the others to drop theirs. "I have called you all here, as I have, not only your wands," he started, waving his hand as 35 untraceable wands flew to their owners, "but I have a task which may need quite a few of you to complete. The families of Jugson and Gibbon are planning on defecting, and selling out secrets to the Ministry. This cannot happen. Destroy them, as soon as possible. Stop them from ruining us. You have three days." He handed them two files, with details of the families, including their locations, inside.

"Yes Tom. We will make sure they are eradicated. Let's go." Harry agreed, taking the files, and transporting himself back to the school.

Once they had all arrived, questions immediately started hitting him. "Who are Jugson and Gibbon?"

"Why does He want us to do it? Why can't He do it himself?"

"Do we have to do it?"

"Enough!" Harry shouted, effectively silencing them all. "Thank you. Now then, to answer your questions, Jugson and Gibbon are two brutes of a Death Eater. You thought Crabbe and Goyle Sr were big, just wait until you see those two. He has asked us to do it because of our names, Assassins. It is our job to clean up the mess. Yes, we have to do it, but not all of you. Disregarding their two sons in the fourth year, there is only four of them, but they are powerful. I will not send any of you out there until I have done what it is I need to do."

"What do you mean by that Harry?" Neville asked.

"This is what I mean Neville." Without breaking eye contact with his fellow Gryffindor, Harry levitated all the empty bottles, and set alight the record player, before ending his charms and showing that nothing had been damaged, or even tarnished. "Dumbledore, as every first years walks through those doors to be sorted, puts a charm on their magic, effectively blocking its true powers. If it wasn't for the charm, a first year, without any proper training, could kill him if they so wish. I am going to cancel the charms on you all, and I'm going to set your magic free. You'll actually find it is really easy to control it. Hermione, can you link their auras again?"

"Yeah sure. Aura Adiungunt." She went around each of them, again, and linked them all together.

"Thank you Hermione." Harry went over to the nearest person, Draco, and addressed them all once more. "Now I'm not going to lie. This hurt, when I did it. But I read that it's much easier if the caster has already had it done to them first. So hopefully, it shouldn't hurt you. If anything, all you'll feel is a twinge in your core. Ready Draco?"

"Ready."

"OK." Harry placed his hand directly over Draco's heart, taking great pleasure in the feel of muscle under the blond's shirt. He also smirked at the feel of Draco's heartbeat quickening at his touch, and as he looked up into the other's eyes, Harry noticed that they had become considerably darker and lust-addled. He whispered something, and everybody watched as their auras suddenly became visible, each one a different colour to represent that individual. However, each one had one thing in common; a horrible black and muddy-green colour intertwining it, effectively encasing it. "The second colour you see it the block. I'm going to break it. Finite Incantatem." As he said the spell, each aura seem to pulsate, before twisting itself around the spell trapping it. Eventually, cracks began to appear in the spell, and finally, they all simultaneously broke, sending black sparks shooting from the inner being of each individual. Hermione quickly ended the spell as Harry stepped away from the boy in front of him, so he could address everybody. "Don't fear your magic and the power you now have. If you do that, it will become out of control. Each of you has the ability to control your magic, but it will take practice and time. Some of you will take longer than others. But eventually, you will succeed. All it takes, is some will power. You won't even have to say anything. Do not broadcast it to everybody else though. In class, use your wands. Oh, and by the way, you'll find that everything you do with your wand will suddenly become a lot easier and more powerful. If anybody asks, you've just been practising."

"Won't Dumbledore realise the spells have been broken?" Katie asked.

"Oh yeah, he will. But he won't be able to do a thing about it. The spell can only be done once. Doing again would kill the person. He wouldn't want murders on his hands. Anyway, the real question is, who is willing to do it?"

Fred and George immediately stepped forward. "We'll do it Harry. I also think we should have two girls with us, to take on the wives." Fred suggested.

"Then that will be us." Angelina said, indicating herself and Alicia. "It will be easier if it was people who have already left the school. It's not that we feel you're all incompetent, not that at all. It's that, despite the fact you say Harry that Dumbledore doesn't know we're leaving with these," she held the coin out, "it's that someone, eventually, is going to get inquisitive, and start asking questions. Everything we do is at night, but what if the task we've been given takes longer than a night, and you aren't back before lessons start in the morning? People will ask questions Harry. At least with us, nobody is going to know where we are."

"OK, cool. You can do it. But leave the children. Get it done as quickly as possible." Harry handed over the files and the four left. "The rest of you, back to our common rooms. Let's get some sleep. Draco, Pansy." As everybody started to leave, the two Slytherins, and their friends, came over to where Harry, Ron and Hermione were stood. "I need you to talk to Jugson and Gibbon Jr, see if you can convince them not to say anything. Do what you must, but don't be brutal, and don't tell them they can join up to us. They're only fourth years after all." They nodded. "Thank you. Come on, let's go."

Finally, they left the Room and went their separate ways, the Gryffindors to the Tower, and Slytherins to the Dungeons.

xxxxx

However, the Slytherins didn't go straight to sleep. Instead, Draco sent Crabbe and Goyle to go and get the two Death Eater spawn, which they did in record time. Crabbe and Goyle threw them into the room.

"Silencio. Sit down boys." Draco said calmly.

"Get off me! Oh, it's you. Why should I listen to you Malfoy?" Jugson, a short, stocky boy with brown eyes and dark brown hair, demanded.

Draco pulled out his wand and pointed it directly at the fourth year's heart. "Because you would do well to. Now sit down!"

Gibbon, who was the complete opposite of his friend- tall, thin, with yellow-blond hair and blue eyes, and a fear for the Malfoy heir- did as he was told, pulling his friend down with him. "What is it you want with us Draco?"

"I'll let Pansy answer that one. Pans…" Draco stepped aside so that the brunette could start her questioning.

She paced up down in front of the two, twirling her wand around in her fingers. "Now then, we've been hearing certain rumours that you and your families are going to sell out the Dark Lord, is that correct?" They shook their heads. "OK, we'll try again. I basically know that your fathers are thinking of defecting. Not only are they going to sell out the Dark Lord and his followers, they are going to sell out _my_ leader, Torva. What is it _exactly_ that they are going to say?"

Jugson, who would never admit to being frightened of anyone except Pansy, looked her in the eye. "I don't know, bitch." He spat in her face.

Pansy slapped him, hard, across the face, before grabbing the front of his robes, hauling him up, dragging him over to the fire, forcing him to his knees, and guiding his head towards the open fire. "Liar. You wanna try again? What are they going to say?" She asked, deliberately accentuating her words, and with every word, moving the boy's head closer to the flames.

"OK, OK, I give in! Just get me away from this fire!"

"Why, can't handle the heat?" Pansy sneered as the other's watched on, Gibbon in horror, and her friends in awe.

"Please!" Jugson begged. Pansy relented and pulled him away, this time forcing him up the wall and jamming her wand into his throat. For such a small girl, she had a remarkable amount of strength.

"Talk."

Jugson swallowed. "Our fathers are going to name as many Death Eaters as they can, including all your parents. They are going to tell the Ministry where the Dark Lord hides out, and they are going to tell as many secrets as they can."

"What about Torva? What are they going to say about him?"

"As much as they can. That he wears a black hooded cloak and a green mask. They are going to say that he is a student here at the school."

"How do they know he is a student? What evidence do they have?"

"They know enough."

Pansy stared at him for a moment before letting him go. "Thank you. How hard was that to tell the truth? Sit back down." The boy scarpered back to his seat and Pansy followed him, standing in front of the fourth year next to Draco, who was stood in front of Gibbon.

Jugson, however it seemed, was not finished yet. "Torva is Potter, isn't it?"

"What makes you say that?" Blaise asked.

"Come on Zabini, its obvious. Potter and Malfoy have been sworn enemies since they started here. Now, for them to suddenly decide to be friends? Torva is a student here, and Pansy just stated that Torva was her master. I'm sure she wouldn't have just joined off her own back. She would have followed you, which means this lot have as well. If you've joined, they've joined. First joining up and then a friendship? It all adds up."

Draco looked to Pansy, who looked back at him, both of them surprised at the boy's logic. "How many others know?"

"Just us two. Bu soon, it will be everybody. Imagine the uproar if people found out their Saviour was a fallen angel? Imagine the money we would receive for handing over the name of the person who's been killing these Order members!" Jugson said with glee.

"I know. Shame you won't be able to." Draco cast the Fidelius charm on them both, locking them into silence.

"You did not just do that?"

"I did. What you know, you keep a secret, do you understand? Your parents will be stopped, but you are children. Harry believes children should not be involved in things like this. They are innocents in the War. As are you two. All Harry wants is to make the Wizarding World a better place, one that is not dictated by Dumbledore or Voldemort. You don't say a word, about any information you know at all, to anybody. Because if you do, you will make an enemy out of him, and he will make sure your lives become a living hell, do you understand me?" Draco raised his new wand, the one without the trace, and cast a spell over both boys. "Imperio. You do not say a word about this conversation to anyone. You do not tell anybody about the information you know about the Death Eaters, the Dead Assassins, their leaders, or their locations. And you most certainly don't forget about my warning." He lowered his wand. "To bed, the both of you. Finite" He cancelled the silencing charm as the two fourth years ran back up to their dorms.

"Was that really necessary Draco? They'd already had Fidelius cast on them." Astoria asked once the two were out of earshot.

"On his name only. That's something Harry wants. Anybody who finds out or works out his name, anybody he doesn't want to know who he is, must have Fidelius cast upon them. Even an Imperio can be broken. That cannot. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

They said their goodnights and made their way to their rooms, knowing that things at Hogwarts would soon become darker after the half-term holidays.

xxxxx

400 miles away, in Western Wales, Mr and Mrs Jugson, and Mr and Mrs Gibbon, were murdered in their beds as they slept by four hooded, white masked figures. The Gibbons were knocked completely unconscious and their insides starved of oxygen, whilst the Jugsons were tortured, screaming, while their veins and arteries were burned, and the limbs dismembered, leaving them to die slowly, and painfully, of 90% burns and blood loss.

**A/N: Ew, gruesome ending. Fitting, but gruesome. I like writing the scene in the Slytherin common room the best. I have a thing for making female figures strong and very much capable of looking after themselves. Welcome to my mind! XD Review, as always. ;D**

**xxxxx**


	12. The Dark Truth

Fallen Angel

_Death Eaters Found Dead in Their Homes_

_The Daily Prophet has been given reports, that four Death Eaters, Mr and Mrs Jugson, and Mr and Mrs Gibbon, were found dead in their Welsh homes in the early hours of the morning by their own House-elves. Mr and Mrs Gibbon it seems had been knocked unconscious and then had their insides starved of oxygen, while Mr and Mrs Jugson were, to put it lightly for our readers, tortured in the most gruesome way. This reporter has unfortunately seen the evidence, and it not something I will ever forget. It has been said, from an anonymous source, that the Jugsons and Gibbons were planning on defecting and selling out the secrets of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, the remainder if the Death Eaters, and of the new army, led by the mysterious Torva. How much truth is in this, we cannot determine, but if it is true, it adds speculation and wonder as to why they would do such a thing, and if their sons, both present at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, knew of their parents plans? If they did, did they know what was going to be said, and will they, in replace of their parents, do the same job? Is it a clear up by You-Know-Who, or a premeditated murder? No word yet from the boys, but this reporter is determined to get some answers, and keep our dear readers informed of any developments. Lorna Hawkins for the Daily Prophet._

Dumbledore put down the paper with a frown on his face. Sure, two less Death Eaters running around made things a little easier, but the chance of possibly knowing where Voldemort and his followers, including Albus' latest thorn in the side Torva, was and the fact that he had lost the chance, was too much of a disappointment to revel in the removal of four scums of the Earth. Maybe he could get something out of the kids? However, judging by the kids' reactions at the news, and at the questioning by their peers, they either didn't know, or had been forced to keep their mouth shut. Damn, he would have to just carry on with the normal routine. "Students," he addressed them, "the news in the Prophet today is sad for our own Mr Jugson and Mr Gibbon. Please give them some support, or, if that is too much for you, give them some privacy and leave them to grieve. Thank you." He sat back down with a sigh. He'd just have to try harder.

xxxxx

As the post arrived that morning, Harry received a note from Draco. 'Come to my rooms during your free this morning. There's something important I need to tell you.' Harry looked up and met the eyes of the blond, nodding.

Upon arrival at Draco's dorm, Harry was automatically greeted with a drink, and a seat by the fire. "What is it you wanted to talk about?"

"How exactly were the Jugsons and Gibbons killed?"

"You want the honest truth? Are you sure you can cope with the gruesome details?"

"Just tell me."

"Fine. Fred and Angelina took on the Jugsons. They tortured so that they were screaming and begging for mercy. Then, they used a particularly nasty spell that burned their veins and their arteries, causing the most horrible of pain, before having their limbs severed while they were still alive. George and Alicia took on the Gibbons. They knocked them unconscious and starved their insides of oxygen. Sorry you asked?"

Draco shook his head. "No. I'm just disturbed at your mind."

"I'm not the one that came up with those punishments. Fred, George, Angelina and Alicia did."

"Disturbed at them as well. Tell me, are you worried about Jugson and Gibbon Jr? I only told them not to say anything through the Imperius curse. But with how much power Dumbledore has, he could quite easily break the spell."

"He won't. When I unblocked your magic, it made sure that anything you do, any spell, can only be undone or overridden by you, nobody else."

"OK. We have a problem…" Draco trailed off, nervous about what Harry's reaction was going to be.

"Why?"

"They know who you are. Jugson and Gibbon, they worked it out. They know that Torva is you. I put them under the Fidelius charm, but I'm not sure whether that will be enough."

"What did you say to them exactly?"

"What do you mean?"

"When you cast the charm, what was it you said?"

"Nothing. I did it silently. I just locked the information inside of them so that they can't tell anybody."

"OK, that's fine. How did the interrogation go?"

"Pansy threatened them, quite a bit. Jugson called her a bitch and spit in her face, so she slapped him." At this, Harry burst out laughing. Once the tears had dried, Draco continued. "Also, because Jugson refused to tell us what his family were going to say, Pansy dragged him to the fire and forced him to kneel. She slowly started to edge his head towards the fire until he gave in, threatening him with one chance that if he lied to her again, she would force his head all the way into the flames."

Harry's eyes were wide. "I thought I told you not to be brutal because they were fourth years?"

"Jugson is a thug anyway, what difference does it make?"

"The fact that they are fourth years, and the fact that they are two of the people this group is trying to protect. We are trying to be seen as the better alternative to both Voldemort and Dumbledore, then we need to be reasonable. Threatening them with a face full of fire is not going to help that image!" Harry stood up and started to pace.

"Sorry, jeez. I didn't realise it was such a problem to you. But believe me when I say that that was tame for Pansy."

Harry sighed and stopped. "Sorry. It's just, this is important to me. I want to free the world from the slavery and dictatorship they've had to suffer. I don't want anything to jeopardise that."

"It's OK, I understand."

"No, Draco, you don't. All my life, until I started here, I've grown up believing I'm a freak. I have no memories of my parents, at all, just my mother's scream as Voldemort took her life away. My Aunt and Uncle, the people who were supposed to be protecting me and raising me, treated me like a slave. From the moment I was old enough to learn how to cook, I was made to cook every meal, clean the house and do the DIY. If I got something wrong, of if I hurt myself, I was either beaten, or locked in my bedroom, the cupboard under the stairs, and not let out or fed for a week. Anything I did that was remotely different, whether that was accidental magic or not, I was called a freak. I wasn't normal. When I came here, and they found out who I really was, things changed a bit, but I was still expected to do the chores, I just got given my own room and wasn't starved anymore. Nor was I beaten, because they were frightened about what I could do to them. When I realised that Dumbledore had known all along what the Dursleys were like, and that he knew about the abuse I was receiving, but never did anything about it, that's when I had enough. I was always fought against Voldemort anyway, but the only other alternative was him, and I don't want other kids suffering the way I have suffered under his hand."

Draco sat dumbfounded. "I didn't know."

"It's something I don't like to make well known. The only people who know are you, Hermione and Ron."

"Thanks, I feel so privileged." Draco joked, in an attempt to break the tension. He stood up and made his way over to his leader, putting a comforting arm around him. "You really shouldn't keep things like this bottled up so much, it will do you no good. Thank you for sharing with me. I'm glad you did. It means a lot."

"Thanks for understanding." Harry said, as he leaned into the embrace.

They stood like that for a few minutes, until Draco once again broke the silence. "Do you want another drink?"

"No, thank you" Harry pulled away and sat back down on the sofa. "Draco, there's something I really need to tell you. I don't want to, I'm quite embarrassed about it actually, so curse my Gryffindor courage, but…" he trailed off.

"But?" Draco enquired, sitting back down next to him.

Harry raised his head. "I… god damn it…I like you Draco. As in, _like, _like you."

"Oh thank Merlin!" Draco sighed in exasperation.

"What?"

"I like you too, you dolt. I've just been waiting for the right moment to tell you, in case you didn't feel the same."

"Really?"

"Yes. God, Harry, I've liked you for at least a year now."

"Prove it."

"What?"

"I said, prove it. Kiss me."

"Gladly…"

**A/N: I'll leave the rest up to your imagination. Enjoy. XD**

**xxxxx**


	13. Order Corruption

Fallen Angel

Harry was insanely pleased. He had nabbed the hottest guy in school as his boyfriend, people were starting to fear Torva, Dumbledore had been telling him all the different ideas he had for where the Horcruxes would be and what they would be, and he was heading home for the October half term. Draco was going home to spend time with his family, while Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were going back to Grimmauld Place. Harry had a plan, a plan he knew he would need his five friends help with (Fred and George were coming home for October too), and he was glad that he no longer had to wait to go through with it. He was going to recruit four adults.

Sat in the kitchen one evening, the five teens waited for the final member turn up. Lupin was on his way back from the pack he stayed with for the full moon, and Harry didn't really want to have to repeat himself to the werewolf when he returned.

Remus finally came through the door. "Sorry about that. Took longer than I thought. So, Harry, what is it?"

Harry, now in the presence of the four people he admired the most- Remus, Tonks, Molly and Arthur- changed his demeanour completely and addressed them with more respect than he would other recruits. "Well, what we need to tell you is very important and private. Would you mind if we put silencers up on the door, just in case? We don't want other people, especially Kreacher, hearing something they shouldn't and then shouting their mouth off."

"Of course." Remus himself cast the charms, before turning his calming brown orbs onto the boy in front of him. "Now will you tell us?"

"Yes. In your honest opinion, and please, be honest with us, we won't tell anybody. In your honest opinion, what do you think of Dumbledore?"

"Albus Dumbledore is a clever and wise man…"

"I said honest, Remus. What do you really think of him?" Harry pushed gently.

"What is this about my dear?" Molly asked, worried.

"It has come to my attention, Mrs Weasley, that Albus Dumbledore is a liar and a cheat, and that he knows exactly what I suffer every summer. He even goes as far as to encourage it. He does this so that he can appear the good guy. He plans on using me, using us," he indicated his friends with a wave, "as pawns in his great plan to take over the world. Tell me, does that sound like the Dumbledore you know?"

Molly started shaking her head. "No, I won't believe it, I refuse to."

"Believe it Mrs Weasley, because it is true." He reached out a hand to take hers. "Mrs Weasley, you know me. I don't lie when it comes to something as serious as this. Albus Dumbledore is a liar, and if left to do as he plans to, he will become one of the worst dictators that both worlds have ever seen. Do you really want that? Because I know we don't. That's why we're doing something about it."

"Hermione, Ginny, tell me truthfully." Tonks began. "These beliefs, when did you start believing them?"

"I started to believe them with Harry last year, Ginny only a couple of months ago. Why?"

"I have a theory. Harry, how fluent are you in Latin?"

"I know enough."

"Hmm. Lift up your sleeve Harry please, your right sleeve. You four as well." They did, revealing their Marks. Gasps went around the room, but Tonks kept her cool. "I thought as much. Put up your mask Torva, let's see you properly."

He did. At the reveal of their leader, the others put up their masks, revealing themselves. Molly started to cry. "My children, why my children? Why?"

Ginny immediately dropped her mask and gave her mother a hug. "Please don't cry mum. We're doing this because we trust Harry and we believe in him. We'll be perfectly safe with him."

"But you're on _his_ side Ginny. There is no guarantee that you will be safe when Harry isn't around."

Here, Harry interjected. "Yes they will Mrs Weasley. Tom gave me his word that he would treat anybody on my side with the upmost respect, and the rest of the Death Eaters have been warned that if they try anything against me or my friends, they will suffer a fate worse than death. We'll all be fine, I promise."

At this, Arthur spoke up for the first time. "Harry my boy, was there no other option? Could you not have gone about this some other way, rather than changing sides?"

"If there was another way Mr Weasley, I can assure you I would have taken it. I do not want to side with Tom any more than I do Dumbledore, but at the moment, Tom is the better option. But now to the main point of the night. I would like to offer the four of you a place with me. You do not have to take it. If you think that you don't want it, then I will do my best to protect you from both sides. However, if you take it and then drop out, turn against me, or become a spy for the other side, then I will not be so kind. You will be treated exactly the same as any of my other enemies. And if you have been reading the papers of late, you'll know what I mean. It's up to you."

Remus lost it. "Hang on a minute. First you tell us that you have sided with the man that killed your parents, and now you are telling us to join you? I'm sorry Harry. You may want to disgrace your parents' memory, but I refuse to disgrace the memory of my best friends. After all they did for you. Giving up their lives for you! This is a bad way to repay them!"

"First of all, Remus, I'm simply doing what they wanted. They wanted to change the world to make it a better place; that is my aim. Second, Tom may have been the one to kill my parents and try to kill me, but if Wormtail hadn't have sold my parents out to him, then Tom would never have found them. I suffer, every summer, at the hands of my Aunt and Uncle, the people who are supposed to look after me. Dumbledore knew what they were like when he sent me there, and he knows what they do every year. He doesn't do anything about it because he thinks that if he seems like the good guy, I'll continue to do everything he asks of me. I won't."

"How do you know all of this Harry?"

"I got Dobby to tell me the truth. I got him to tell me whether Dumbledore had been plotting anything or not, and he had. I trust Dobby."

"You would rather trust the word of a house elf over the greatest wizard of our time?"

"Yes. Because under elfish law, Dobby must always tell the truth. I'll prove to you he has been lying to you. Every year, when first years enter the school, Dumbledore puts a block on their magic, one that he thinks only he knows the counter spell to. He does this so that there is never a chance of having somebody more powerful than him rise again. Somebody like Tom. He started doing it the year you started. He saw the potential my mother had, and it frightened him. So every year since, he has been putting blocks on the magic of the first years."

"And how would you know that? That was before your time."

"Portraits have memories. Phineas Nigellus Black was all too willing to share his once he found out that I planned to end this dictatorship once and for all."

"You have Phineas Black on your side?"

"Yes. He loathes Dumbledore as much as I do."

"Either way, Black is a liar. How do you know he isn't lying to you?"

"Hermione." Harry simply answered.

The bushy haired girl quickly linked the auras of the four adults, and before they could ask what she was doing, the spell was cast, the block removed, and the link broken.

"What was that?" Tonks asked.

"That was the counter-curse. Your magic is now free. Tell me, do you suddenly feel stronger?" They nodded. "Then it worked. Now do you believe me?"

"I do Harry. Mark me, I'm gonna join." The metamorphmagus declared proudly. Harry did. Then he surveyed the other three with questioning eyes.

"You don't have to do it. I just need to know."

"We'll do it, but only to protect our family." Arthur stated.

"That's fine." He marked the Weasley matriarch and patriarch also. Then he turned to the only link to his parents he felt he had left. "Remus? What about you?"

The werewolf stared him back in the eye, and Harry could see anger, betrayal, and conflict. The older man took his time answering. "I don't know, not yet."

Harry nodded. "OK. That's fine. Any questions?" They shook their heads. "Good. Then could you please give Remus and myself some privacy? Thank you. You four as well." The seven left the room, leaving Harry and Remus alone in the room.

They stared at each other in silence for a moment, until Harry broke the silence. "Kreacher!"

The old house elf apparated into the room. "Master is calling Kreacher?"

"Yes. Make us two teas please." Harry answered, all the while never taking his eyes off of the older man. Once the tea was made, he addressed the house elf once more. "Thank you. Now make yourself scarce for the night. Go and serve the Malfoys. I do not want any chances of you overhearing this conversation. Understood?"

"Yes master Harry." With a crack, the house elf disappeared, leaving the two alone once more.

Harry made the first move. "What is Remus? What's bothering you, what's on your mind?"

"You can tell that easy, huh?" The werewolf sighed. "If I side with you Harry, it means I will have to side with the man who mauled me to within an inch of my life when I was younger and turned me into a monster."

"Greyback?" Harry asked softly.

"Yes. It's not that I'm frightened of him, even if he is bigger than me. It's the fact that he's a monster and I hate him. I loathe him with a passion, and there is no guarantee that I will be able to hold my tongue if was to say something to me."

"You're worried about getting into a fight with him?"

"Yes. And I'm worried he'll kill me." 

"Don't worry. He won't turn on you. Lupus non timet canem latrantem. A wolf is not afraid of a barking dog. He is not a wolf, not with that attitude. He licks the arse of Tom, how is that a wolf? More like a dog, loyal to his owner. You struggle every month alone, we both know that. You refuse help. You are more than a wolf than he is. Just tell him what I said to you just. He won't understand it anyway."

Remus laughed. "Thank you Harry, but I don't think it would be that easy."

"Remus," Harry reached out a reassuring hand and placed it on the older man's shoulder, "trust me. All the death eaters were given the same warning. Anybody who works for me, must be treated as one of their own, as if they bear the same mark. You'll wear a mask every time they see you, so they won't know it's you anyway. Don't worry about it. After all, Moony, you are a Marauder." Harry grinned. "Take your time deciding. I really don't mind."

"Thank you Harry. I'll do that." The old man drained his cup and stood, bidding goodnight to the Gryffindor, before leaving the kitchen and going to bed. Harry, however, stayed where he was for a while, contemplating. He now had three adults completely on side, three others he could use. He really wanted Remus, preferably, but didn't mind if the elder refused. Harry just hoped that the werewolf wouldn't hate him when he finally realised the life he may be letting himself in for.

**A/N: Hi! Sorry for not posting last week. To make up for it, I've posted two chapters in one go. Thank you to everyone for sticking with this, and with me. But I'm still disappointed in the number of views people! Come on, review! Join the dark side! I'm giving away virtual cookies, hot chocolate, marshmallows, ice cream and cool dark capes to anyone who does! XD**

**xxxxx**


	14. Quidditch

Fallen Angel

**A/N: Shall we have a Quidditch game? I think we shall, ease the tension a bit. :)**

November, 1996, and Stella Silverwater, seventh year Ravenclaw, sat in the commentator's box of the Quidditch stands. "Hello everybody, and welcome to the first Quidditch game of the season, and it's the big one. The Braveheart Gryffindors take on those Slippery Slytherins, in the ultimate battle of skill, endurance and tactics. As we all know, Gryffindor and Slytherin are arch rivals, but will the relationship of their Seekers, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy respectively, effect the end result? Let's find out, as here come the teams! For Gryffindor, we have Potter, the best looking if I do say so myself, Weasley, Weasley, Bell, Robins, Peakes and Coote! And for Slytherin, we have Urqhart, Bletchley, Vaisey, Warrington, Crabbe, Goyle and Malfoy! The captains shake hands as the referee, Madame Hooch, steps into the pitch."

"Now I want a nice clean game. No cheating. Into positions!" The players flew into position, with the lead chasers, Urqhart and Ginny, hovering close to the referee, waiting for the Quaffle to be released and the game to begin. "Three, two, one…" The whistle blew, the Quaffle became airborne, and the game began.

"And we're off. It's Weasley with the Quaffle and she's speeding down the pitch! Go on Ginny! I've always liked that girl, dead feisty. She speeds down the pitch, going for goal…NO! That's a foul! That's Blatching that is! Urqhart aimed for her specifically to knock her off! Boo to Slytherin!"

"Silverwater!" Professor McGonagall hissed. "Unbiased!"

"Sorry Professor. Urqhart races down the pitch, passes to Warrington, who throws it, but Weasley saves it! He throws it back to his sister, who throws to Robins. She weaves, but is intercepted by Vaisey." Silverwater continued, this time with less enthusiasm," I personally would have performed a Woollongong Shimmy there, but of course, I can't comment on tactics because I'm not a player because apparently I'm not good enough. No-ho." She whined, annoyance and resentment towards Ravenclaw's captain in her voice, who in return simply rolled his eyes.

"Silverwater…" McGonagall once again warned, her voice louder than before.

"Sorry Professor. I'm still right though. And Bell scores! Ten points to Gryffindor! Come on Bravehearts. But hang on, what's happening with our Seekers?"

Up in the air, Draco and Harry were having a lovers' tiff. "You take it when the time comes."

"No way Draco, you take it. You've never won."

"Harry, take it, I really don't mind."

"Nor me. Take it Draco."

The blond sighed. "Look, why don't we just fight for it, like normal?"

"Alright deal."

"OK. Catch me if you can Potter!" Draco shouted the last bit, falling into routine, grinning, as he sped downwards. Harry followed close behind.

"Looks like Malfoy's spotted the Snitch! This will be a quick game. Ever noticed how cute Malfoy is?" Silverwater wondered aloud.

"I'm not cute! I'm refined and handsome!" Draco shouted back.

"And have you ever noticed how hot Potter is? He's dreamy! Shame he's taken. Oh well. A girl can dream…" the brunette trailed off as she started to daydream about Merlin knows what, before a sharp tap on the head from Professor McGonagall's wand called her around from her stupor. "Sorry, went to the clouds for a minute there. They're still going for it!" She stood up now, edging closer to the front of the box. "Come on boys, but please don't hurt yourselves. Down, down, down…ooh, they just pull up in the nick of time as Malfoy comes to a relaxed stop. I do believe that was a Wronskei Feint that Malfoy executed there. Made famous, of course, by Viktor Krum. I'm so glad they didn't get hurt. Oh could you imagine if they could? Oh poor boys…"

"Silverwater!" McGonagall raised her voice now, temper rising.

"Sorry Professor…"

The game continued like this for some time, until, 90 minutes later, Harry finally spotted the Snitch. The rain had started half an hour ago, and it was now hammering down. His vision was blurred, despite the Impervius charm he had cast on his glasses, but a flash of lightening had reflected off of the golden casing of the Snitch, and Harry had seen it. Now, he was chasing it up higher and higher into the clouds, Draco hot on his tail. Suddenly, it swerved right, and Draco, who was on Harry's right flank, had the advantage of the tighter turn, so pulled level. Now both boys were neck and neck. The Snitch continued to weave. On more than one occasion, vision became so poor, the boys relied on the hope that the little ball hadn't changed course and continued after it, spotting it again moments later.

At one point, the Snitch went through a particularly thick cloud, and on emerging through it, both were confronted with a Bludger, which unfortunately caught Draco's broom and sent him flying to the ground. Quick as a flash, Harry caught the Snitch, did a 180 degree spin, and followed after the falling boy, getting low on the wood beneath him to get as fast and as stream-lined as possible. Just before the ground, Harry flew underneath his boyfriend and caught him in his arms, bridal style, before lowering them to the ground.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Harry asked, hands roaming everywhere as he checked for injuries.

Draco chuckled and caught the other's hands. "I'm fine. Now don't you think you better announce that the game is over?"

"Together." Harry put the Snitch half in his own hand, half in Draco's, and both lifted it high to the cheer of everyone in the stands as the whistle blew.

"I don't believe it! They both caught the Snitch! Potter and Malfoy caught it simultaneously! Has that even happened before? I don't think it has, has it?" Silverwater asked, whipping her head from left to right looking for answers, all the time unknowingly hitting Professor Flitwick in the face with her ponytail.

Madame Hooch landed on the ground with the seekers. "Who caught the Snitch first?"

"We both did Madame Hooch. We both caught it before the Bludger hit Draco's broom. He being hit meant the Snitch slipped out of his fingers. But we did both catch it together." Harry answered

"Alright. 150 points to both teams, meaning that by ten points, Gryffindor wins!" This was met with uproars from the red and gold stand, and polite applause from the Slytherins. The teams landed on the ground and congratulated their seekers, and each other, before separating and going their own ways to their changing rooms.

xxxxx

It was later that night when Harry snuck down to Draco's room. He wore a simple pair of blue acid-wash jeans and a blue checked shirt. Quietly, he knocked on the door, hoping the other wasn't asleep. His prayers were answered when the door opened to reveal Draco, whose face broke into a genuine smile when he saw who it was. The boy was wearing low riding black jeans and a black shirt.

"Hey. Come in, I was just having a drink." He stepped aside to let the other in, pecking him on the lips as he entered. "Help yourself to some Firewhiskey."

"Thanks." Harry pored himself a measure and sat himself down in his armchair. "How are you? You didn't get hurt as you fell did you? The Bludger did miss you, right?"

Draco chuckled. "I'm fine. Stop worrying. Though, to be honest, I don't think I would have been had you not caught me. Thank you. I owe you."

"You owe me nothing Draco. It's fine."

Draco smiled. "Thank you."

"Hermione and Ron have finally give in to their feelings. She's just snogged him in the common room."

"Ew, gross. Not my kind of thing. But good for them. About time too."

"Yeah."

"So, heard anything from Tom yet?"

"Nope. He seems to be staying away from contact with me. That's logical though. Should Dumbledore attempt to use Legillemens on me to read my mind, we wouldn't want him seeing my meetings and talks with Tom because that would blow everything."

"What about Remus? Heard anything form him yet?"

"No. But to be honest, I'm not expecting a quick reply from him. I mean think about it. My father was his best friend, and my mother was the first person to know about his lycanthropy and help him through it. And now their son is asking him to side with the man who murdered them. I can understand him taking his time, and I can understand him saying no, but I want him to say yes."

"Because you don't want to hate him."

Harry sighed. "Yes. And because he's the only link I have to them, especially after Sirius' death. I don't want to lose that too. And anyway, Remus is like my father figure. I can't bear to disappoint him." He bowed his head in shame.

Draco instantly shot off his seat and kneeled in front of his boyfriend. He reached out and took both of the brunet's hands in his own. "Hey, look at me. Harry look at me." Gently, he reached out and took Harry's chin in his hand, raising his head so that silver eyes looked into emerald. "Remus, Sirius, and your parents will always be proud of you, no matter who you side with, because in the end, you are being you, not what people want you to be. You are fighting for a good cause and carrying on their work to make a unified, equal, safe place to live. How could they not be proud? Don't ever doubt yourself Harry Potter. Ever." Draco stood up and pulled the other with him, embracing him. They stood like that for a while, content in each other's arms, before Draco pulled away. "Stay with me tonight."

"Draco, I can't…"

"Harry, it's late. You can't be seen out of your dorm now. Please?"

Harry looked into the other's eyes and slowly nodded, before allowing himself to be pulled onto the bed. They wrapped their arms around each other and stared into each other's eyes before sleep consumed them.

xxxxx

Harry awoke first. He first noticed that he wasn't in his own dorm. He secondly noticed he had still got his clothes on. Thirdly, he noticed he wasn't in his own dorm. And finally, he noticed the arms around him, and his arms around somebody. Looking down, he smiled when he saw Draco asleep in his arms. It seemed that Draco had managed to fall asleep before he had had the chance to remove his clothes too. Now, in the stillness of the night and the hue of the moon, Harry had a proper look at his boyfriend.

Starting from the top, Harry noticed that Draco's hair was not just white blond, but it was a hint of yellow blond too. But the moon light made it shine like the highest calibre silver any goblin could ever source. His eyebrows matched too. His eyelashes were perfectly white, and they seemed to go on forever. Harry knew that hidden under those eyelids were eyes that could range from stormy grey skies, to molten mercury silver orbs. Travelling further down, Harry reached his nose. An angular, aristocratic nose. His mouth, perfectly shaped. His skin, flawless. That throat. It was dying to be kissed, so Harry did just that. He placed a gentle kiss on Draco's Adam's apple. Then, very slowly, he started to move the kisses upward onto Draco's face, before kissing every inch of his face. Finally, Harry moved his lips to the other boys, where he felt the other boy respond. Pulling back, Harry was surprised to see silver eyes looking back at him. "How long have you been awake?"

"Just before you woke up. I saw you stir and pretended to be asleep in case you wanted to go back to sleep yourself. Besides, I couldn't fall back to sleep myself because I felt your eyes piercing me. Which, might I say, look a lot better without the glasses."

"So why didn't you open your eyes sooner and let me know you were awake?"

"Because I enjoyed the attention you were paying me."

Harry whacked the other lightly on the arm. "Big head."

Draco just smiled. "You love me really."

What Harry said next came as a shock to Draco. "Yeah I do."

Draco's eyes slowly widened and his mouth slowly opened as what he had just been told sank in. "Really?"

"Yes. I love you Draco Malfoy."

"And I love you, Harry Potter." Draco lent forward and captured the other's lips in a slow, sensuous kiss, trying to put across his love for the other. Harry happily returned the favour. Draco slowly rolled them over so that he dominated Harry, hovering over him. When air became a problem, they pulled away, resting their heads against each other.

Draco stared at the other boy and waited for him to open his eyes. Once he did, he spoke. "Harry, I want you, so much. I need you to know where this will go if we continue this. I'm willing to wait if you want me to, but I need you."

Harry reached up with his right hand and stroked the other's face, slowly trailing his hand down, over Draco's neck, until it rested on his chest. "Believe me, I don't want to wait. I want you to. I want this. I need you too. So please, don't stop." By now, both boys' breath was shorter and more haggard, as the reality of what they were about to do set in.

Draco shut his eyes tight at Harry's words, and when he opened them, Harry saw that they had given over to the darkness completely. Draco saw that Harry's eyes had also gone black with lust. Slowly he leaned down and recaptured the Gryffindor's lips, kissing him first slowly and softly, but becoming rougher as their need got the better of them. Their tongues met in a battle for dominance as Draco started to tease. With that, the two were lost to the world, until they eventually fell back into a deep sleep, once again wrapped up in each other.

**A/N2: This chapter is one of the many chapters across all my stories that has been edited. As my profile says, if you have any questions regarding the changes to the stories, feel free to PM me and I'll gladly answer any questions you have. **

**xxxxx**


	15. Reminiscent Reasoning

Fallen Angel

**A/N: This chapter is primarily going to be a talk between Severus and Harry. A long talk that has been a long time coming. Reviews would be lovely. :) **

Harry sat in the common room on his own one Saturday night. Everybody else had gone to bed, but four hours ago, he had received a letter. An owl had flown through the window of the common room and landed on the window sill, shaking the April rain out of her feathers. She had surveyed the room, spotted her intended recipient and flew over to him, dropping the letter in her beak. Unfortunately for Harry, the bird had dropped the letter on top of a chess game he and Ron had been in the middle of playing, disrupting all the pieces. Harry had taken the letter, but before he could reward the bird she had flown away. He had opened the letter and been surprised to see it from Remus:

_Dear Harry,_

_I apologise for taking so long, but what you asked of me, as you know, is not the easiest thing for me to instantly agree to as most others have. You'll probably find you are receiving this letter a few days after it was sent. I know that the Ministry is checking all mail now, so I asked the bird to take her time and to take as wide a route as possible so she would not be intercepted._

_As you know, being close to both your mother and father has meant that this has not been easy for me. James was my best friend, and Lily was the first person to know me for what I really am, but despite this, she stood by me. I felt as though, had I instantly agreed to you, I would have been disrespecting their memories, and I did not want to do that, nor appear to you to be a hypocrite when I had told you in third year to not disrespect them either. _

_I digress. To the matter at hand. I thought about it from your point of view, and I must agree with you Harry. I don't know what you did, but when Hermione released the bonds on our magic, a Fidellius charm that had been placed on me lifted, and I can now tell you about it. Harry, I believe you. I overheard Dumbledore, fifteen years ago, talking to Minerva. Minerva argued with him about leaving you with your relatives when you had just become not just a celebrity, but a target, and Dumbledore told her something. Dumbledore knew of the way you relatives were, and their belief towards magic. He knew you were in danger but did nothing about it. I'm sorry Harry. This is why I believe you, and this is why I am inclined to agree. Do not respond, just know that when you are ready, I will take it. You know what 'it' is._

_Harry, your parents would be proud of you for continuing with their work to make the world a better place. They unfortunately were doing as Dumbledore told them, but you are not. They would be proud, as would Sirius. As am I. Though I would suggest one thing to you. Talk to Severus. His loyalties do not lie with either Voldemort, or Dumbledore, but with your mother, and because of that, with you. Speak to him. Sort out your differences. He may be the best one on your side, the most valuable._

_We are all missing you all, and hope you are doing well with your studies. _

_Remus_

Harry had shown the letter to Hermione and Ron and they had both smiled at it. They had both also agreed that Harry should speak to his Potions Professor. So, within half an hour, Harry had wrote a quick note to Severus, asking for the older man to come to the common room at midnight. Fortunately for Harry, it was midnight now. On cue, as if summoned by Harry's thoughts alone, the man walked through the door to the common room. He stalked over to the teen.

"What is the meaning of this Potter?"

"Severus. Sit, please." The older man did, and once he had, Harry silently handed over the letter.

Taking the letter, Severus read it with careful precision. As he finished, he sighed. "What do you want to know?"

"All of it. From the start."

Severus nodded. "Don't think badly of me. I grew up in a place called Spinner's End. My parents were Tobias Snape, a muggle, and Eileen Prince, a witch…" He purposefully paused in his speech to allow the other boy time to understand what he just said.

"Wait…Prince? And you're a half-blood. Combine that with the Potions skills…you're the Half-Blood Prince?"

"Yes Potter, I am. I grew up in Spinner's End at one end of the street. At the other end, lived the Evans'. I had seen Lily Evans over the years perform spectacular magic with such control, but I knew her family were muggles, so I introduced myself to her when we were both nine. I explained to her what we were, and she accepted it. Her sister, Petunia, did not. Petunia and I shared a rivalry over the years they lived there. We never quite saw eye to eye as we were both trying protect your mother; Petunia because Lily was her younger sister and she was protective, and from the 'freaky boy Snape'. I was protecting her from the muggles who didn't appreciate her for who she was. Petunia being one of them."

"She's always been a heartless cow then?" Harry asked, trying to add a bit of light humour.

Severus smiled the smallest of smiles. "Yes. And she's always been very jealous. She was always jealous of the kids in her street who had better things than she did. But anyway, I digress. Your mother was a brilliant girl. Bright. Funny. I loved her. Yes Potter, I did." He added at the shocked look on the boy's face. "She was the first friend I ever had. She stood up for me against the bullies in the street, and against her own sister. We got our Hogwarts letters and started in 1971. We rode together on the train the whole way there. As we were waiting to be sorted, I had a moment with another boy. He was a pureblood, and to my eyes, snobbish. His name was James Potter, and even at eleven years of age, he acted as if he ran the school. He took an immediate dislike to me, without even hearing anything I had to say."

"That sounds familiar…" Harry mused.

"You and Draco, indeed. Potter, Black, Lupin and Wormtail always stuck together. Potter and Black were the popular ones, Lupin was the book worm, and Pettigrew was the odd one out. A bit like you, Granger and Weasley. Potter and Black were also two of the school bullies. When they got sorted into Gryffindor, Lily got sorted into Gryffindor, and I got sorted into Slytherin, their bullying got worse. They had prejudices that were deep ingrained into them, and by this point, the Dark Lord was already making a name for himself as a dark wizard. To quote Weasley when he first arrived; 'There isn't a witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin'. That was the belief your father and his posse had. Lily though, she was different. She saw the light in me, in everybody, and got into numerous fights with your father because of it…" Severus trailed off as he stared into the distance.

"Then what happened?" Harry asked gently.

Severus sighed and refocused. "I started mixing with the wrong crowd- Mulciber, Avery- and your mother didn't like it. But she still remained my friend. Then, one day in our sixth year, Potter used one of my spells against me. Levicorpus, as you saw. He flipped me in the air like you saw, and I lost my dignity. My pride. He embarrassed me beyond compare. Lily jumped in to help me and once again argued with Potter, but that only made things worse. Imagine what was going through my head at the time. She didn't accept my friends, when I, at the time, saw no fault in them. I feared she was siding more with Potter, especially after his numerous attempts to get her to date him. Then I saw her arguing with him in what I believed to be a lover's spat. I saw red, and it was a complete misunderstanding. I called her a mudblood, something she never forgave me for, and something I never forgave myself for. That only widened the gap between us. I lost her through my own fault. I sorted it out a bit with your father though. I had noticed that Lupin kept disappearing once a month so one night, I followed him to the Shrieking Shack. I had overheard Black talking about how to get in. Had it not been for your father finding out and stopping me, Lupin may have possibly killed me. Of course, when he first stopped me, I was angry, but then I heard the howl and the pained look in your father's eyes, and I knew he was serious. I thanked him for it, and some of the animosity disappeared. But then, Lily ended up marrying Potter, and I hated and resented him once again for it."

"So you and my Dad actually tried to make up for all the hate?"

"Yes. But jealousy got in the way because of the fact that he had nabbed _my _friend. I knew her best, I had known her longest. I loved her. But she loved him. I was jealous and angry at both of them for it. Childish. A couple of years later, I overheard Sybil Trelawney's prophecy, but I only heard the first half of it. I heard the date, and the parents, and ran straight away to the Dark Lord and told him. He immediately took it upon himself to mean you, and I realised what I had done, I went to Dumbledore. Back then, he was still sane. He promised me safety from the Dark Lord, and a job, if I acted as a spy for him against Him. I agreed, on the promise that he would keep you and your parents safe. He did. He hid them in the safe house in Godric's Hollow where they lived at the time. He put undetectable charms on the house and made it impossible to find without exact instructions from the Secret Keepers, which was to be him and one other. He told Wormtail the exact location, and Wormtail told the Dark Lord. This, Potter, is where you are wrong in your assumptions of Albus Dumbledore. Your parents' death, and Wormtail's betrayal, was not Dumbledore's fault. It was agreed between Dumbledore, your parents, Black, Lupin and Wormtail that Wormtail would be the other Secret Keeper, but the rest of them would make believe it was actually Black, your father's best friend. It was Black's idea, actually. He was willing to sacrifice himself to protect his friends if he had to. Wormtail, off his own back, went to the Dark Lord. It is true that Dumbledore knew and still knows of the abuse you receive at the hands of your relatives and does nothing about it, but he did not cause your parents' death."

"It makes no difference if he did or didn't Severus. He still knows what I go through, what I have always gone through, and he will never change. Thank you for telling me all that."

"I trust you not to tell anybody about my history Potter."

"Of course not. Remus said in his letter that your loyalties lie with my mother, still."

Severus nodded. "Yes, he's right. My loyalties will never change." He waved his wand and cast a silent spell. Harry watched as a doe formed and gracefully turned her head to look at him. Slowly, she disappeared once more.

"You still love her?"

"Of course. When she was killed, I promised myself to keep an eye on you and make sure you never came to any harm. You may not think it, but I have been watching you since you started here. I could just never show it because you need to discover for yourself your own path. And anyway, Dumbledore made me make an Unbreakable Vow to never inform you until the time was right. But then I saw you, and you were an almost doppelgänger of your father, and old feelings settled in. This year however has proven to me just how much more like your mother you are. Headstrong. Not afraid to stand up for what's right. I see more of her in you than I used to. Through her, my loyalties also lie with you, Harry."

Harry was stunned at the use of his first name, but still continued on regardless. "Thank you Severus. I appreciate it." There was a pause. "Severus, I'm worried. Am I doing the right thing, siding with Tom and then double crossing him?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… the whole point of this is to protect people and fight for equality. I never wanted to kill anyone innocent. Never. Yet, by being on Voldemort's side, I am. Is it really worth it?

"If you believe in it, then yes, you are. You do what you think is right Harry, and have faith in yourself, your decisions and your ability. You're more than capable. I will however say this. You're playing a dangerous game, a very dangerous game. Double-crossing both the head of the light and the head of the dark, who could both kill you, is always going to be risky. But yes, it is worth it. Sometimes, innocents have to die. This is war Harry. But in the end, it will always be worth it, especially if the deaths of a few saves the deaths of thousands. "

"Thank you. That's just made me feel a lot clearer."

"Good. Is there anything else, or may I go to sleep now?" Severus asked with a smirk.

Harry gave an answering smirk. "No that's everything. You can go and get your beauty sleep now. Merlin knows you need it."

Severus' smirk grew to a grin. "10 points from Gryffindor for cheek. Goodnight Harry." He stood and made his way to the portrait entrance.

"Goodnight Severus." Harry replied as he watched his Potions Professor's retreating form and heard the grumble of the Fat Lady at being woken up at such a late hour. Once the portrait swung shut, Harry retreated up to his own dorm and started to undress for bed. The talk with Severus had helped to ease his conscience on what he was doing and had helped to take a lot of weight off his shoulders. Stepping into the confines of his bed, he closed the curtains, took of his glasses and turned to get in bed, smiling at the sight in front of him. Draco had decided to stay in Gryffindor tonight, and was currently fast asleep on the far side of the bed, facing the centre, curled up in a tight ball. Harry silently climbed in and pulled the sleeping blond into his arms, before drifting off into his own sleep, his mind now at peace.

**xxxxx**


	16. What Goes Around Comes Around

Fallen Angel

**A/N: Sorry guys, but I'm gonna do a major time skip here. As in, months. It is now April. Sorry about this, but I really want to start on the other one. I'll make the other one last a lot longer, I promise. Really short chapter, but I think it's time for a meeting that was sure to happen… Also, I disappear on holiday Saturday, so I'm going to post these two chapters then leave you hanging. Sorry. XD**

Harry was waiting for the day when Dumbledore called upon him to go and find the next Horcrux. The old fool had promised him that as soon as he was sure on a location, Harry could come along and destroy it.

"What are you thinking about?" a soft voice asked behind him as arms wrapped around his waist.

Harry leaned into Draco. "I'm thinking about when Dumbledore calls me away to find the Horcrux."

"You getting impatient?"

"A bit, yeah."

Draco kissed his shoulder. "The time will come. When it does, the cabinet will be opened, and the death eaters will arrive. Dumbledore will be dead, I promise you. But for now, you have a meeting to lead."

"I know." Harry turned around and studied the blond on front of him. "Thank you for being by my side." He kissed him gently.

"Always. Now come on. There's fashionably late, and there's _late_ late. You still have an example to set you know."

Harry laughed. "Cheeky sod. Hood up. Mask up. Let's go."

xxxxx

Torva strode into the meeting room and the congregation fell silent. Everyone looked to their leader in awe, except, of course, Bellatrix. "Right then," Torva began. "You all know that sooner or later, Dumbledore will be asking Harry Potter to go and find one of these Horcruxes. When that time comes, the Malfoy boy will open a vanishing cabinet and a select few of us shall enter into the castle to await their return. Malfoy will then kill Dumbledore. If he cannot do it, then I shall take his place. You all know your roles in this." At this, Torva looked specifically to his own people, who had to take on their double roles. "I expect them to all be performed with the highest calibre possible, is that understood? Do not fail me. Now then, I need the Assassins, Bellatrix, Greyback, Rowle, the Carrows and Yaxely to remain behind. The rest of you, leave." He ordered.

Once the required were left, Torva turned to them. "You know your positions. You know what we must do. Make sure it is done to the upmost quality."

Bellatrix stepped forward, a sneer on her face. "You cannot tell us what to do. Your little pets may listen to your every command, but I only serve the Dark Lord. Not you. I refuse to obey the orders of a pathetic little child, clearly a child if you are a spy in Hogwarts, when you are too frightened, too cowardly, to show your face."

Torva lost it. The echo of his slap ricocheted around the room as Bellatrix's head was spun around with the force of the blow. "You dare question me? Fine. You want to see my face? I'll show you, but first, Mastermind, if you would…"

Mastermind stepped forward and wordlessly cast the Fidelius charm on the six Death Eaters. The secret fell onto the adults and into their hearts, weighing them down.

Once done, Torva kept his promise and removed his mask. Eyes stern, Harry stared at Bellatrix Lestrange, daring her to act upon what her eyes were seeing.

The witch was shocked. "What is this trickery? Since when have we been on side with the enemy? My Lord, why have you not killed the boy yet?"

The aforementioned leader stepped out of the shadows where he had been watching the proceedings. "Because, Bella, Harry has seen the light. He has seen the manipulative side of Albus Dumbledore and has escaped. He is committed to the cause."

"So what? I have been taking orders from filthy half-bloods?" she retorted, enraged.

"Enough! Drop the attitude Lestrange. Your precious Dark Lord isn't as pure as you think he is. So every time you insult anybody who is less than a pureblood, you insult your leader too. Enough of this stupid blood supremacy. That is not what we are fighting for any more." Harry interrupted.

"So what are we fighting for then, oh great leader?" she demanded with mock respect.

"We are fighting against Albus Dumbledore, we always have been. You know that."

"But my Lord, what happened to killing the boy?" she asked her master.

"The boy is of no threat Bella. Not anymore. He hasn't been for a year."

"But why?"

Harry answered this time. "Because I have had enough of being manipulated by the old fool. And anyway, I'm of more use to you alive than dead. Now stop with the questions and do not answer me back again!"

Bellatrix raised her eyebrow at him, before jumping up and running over to one of the Assassins, taking a dagger out of her pocket and holding it to the hooded figure's throat. "Why should I? I don't answer to you. I don't care if the Dark Lord has given up against you. I'm sticking to the original plan. Why should I, a high-functioning pureblood, listen to a low-life like you?"

"Because, Lestrange, you're a spoilt little brat who needs knocking down a peg or two. And by the way, you really should choose your victims more carefully." Harry added with a smirk. He nodded his head towards the Assassin in front of him.

The Assassin, quick as a flash, wordlessly and wandlessly cast a spell to freeze the witch in place, before pulling out of her grip, taking the dagger from her hand, holding it to her throat, and casting the counter spell to free her. "You really shouldn't have done that. And you've had this a long time coming."

Bellatrix Lestrange, for once in her life, felt fear. She had been scared before, but never before had she felt real, ferocious fear. Not even when she had met her master for the first time had she been this frightened. But that voice. No, it couldn't be. But she could see through the mask. The last time she had seen eyes like that, he had tortured them insane. She watched as he removed the mask…

"Come on everyone. Neville has some…catching up to do with Madame Lestrange." Tom suggested, leading everybody out of the room. As they all left, the agonising screams of a woman being tortured by the Cruciatus curse echoed around the room…

xxxxx

Upon returning to the school, Dobby appeared in front of Harry. "Master Harry Potter Sir, Dobby has been sent with word that Professor Dumbledore wishes to see him."

"Thank you Dobby." The house elf bowed low, his nose hitting the ground, before disappearing once again with a crack. Harry turned to his friends. "This might be our chance. Be prepared. Be ready. Angelina, apparated back to the Manor, warn the six what is coming and grab Neville. Then go home. Alicia, Fred, George, you too. The rest of you, to your dorms, now. Go quick, go! Draco, stay here a moment…"

The Assassins all did as they were told, quickly getting into position to wait for the impending war. Once they had all gone, Harry and Draco stepped out of the room and transformed it back into the storage room, making their way over to the Vanishing Cabinet.

"You ready for this?" Harry asked his boyfriend.

"Not really. Harry… it's still not fixed. Not properly."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Draco hung his head in shame. "Because I thought I could do it on my own."

Harry's heart broke at the sight in front of him. Draco no longer seemed like a man on a mission to him. He seemed more like a child, forced to grow up to quick and do adult tasks. "Draco," he began softly, "we can do this. Trust me. Put your hand on the cabinet."

Draco raised his head and did as he was told. "What now?"

Harry placed his hand directly over the other boy's. "Now, focus all your magic onto the cabinet. Focus it into fixing it. I'll do it too, and I guarantee that we'll fix it. You ready?"

"Ready." They both began to focus their magic. Slowly, but surely, ripples of blue energy started to flow from their hands, creeping up the cabinet until it was entirely encased in light. Sure enough, they eventually heard a click and the cabinet, only for a second, glowed gold.

"Done." Harry said, pulling his hand away. Draco also removed his hand.

"You need to go, before Dumbledore starts to get worried."

Harry nodded. "I'll send word to you using the coins as to when we'll be gone. Open the cabinet then. Good luck." He kissed his boyfriend quickly on the lips and ran, closing the door behind him, leaving Draco all alone.

The blond began to pace. Up and down, up and down. He started to search the room, just to give him something to do. He found a cage full of Cornish Pixies, a tiara with a blue stone, an old potions book, and many other useless items, including a set of brooms. Suddenly, his pocket went warm, and removing it from it's safe-keeping, checked it to find that Harry had sent word. Making his way back to the cabinet, he whispered the words to activate it and left, leaning up against the wall next to the door. His heart was beating at a hundred miles an hour as he tried desperately to calm it down. This was probably the most nerve-wracking, but also most exciting, thing he'd ever done. Tonight, a body would fall. And tonight, the first obstacle to freedom and equality would be overcome…

**xxxxx**


	17. Into the Cave

Fallen Angel

**A/N: For most of this, I took it directly out of the original story. It's just easier. I've just slightly paraphrased, that's all. **

Cold. Cold and wet. That's the first thing Harry felt as he entered the cave behind Dumbledore. Having just had to swim in freezing cold rain, he was not in the best of moods. Casting a quick drying and warming charm over himself, he lit his wand and moved closer to the Headmaster, who was running his hand along the stone wall.

"Yes, this is the place," said Dumbledore.

"How can you tell?"

"It has known magic." The old man simply replied. Again with the evasive answers. "We need to get further in. Lord Voldemort's obstacles now stand in our way, not those natural made…" The old man continued to move around the cave, murmuring in a strange tongue. Harry rolled his eyes. The old man had finally hit sanity, talking to himself. Eventually Dumbledore stopped, and pressed the wall where his hand had come to rest. "Here. We go on through here. The entrance is concealed." He stepped back from the cave wall and pointed his wand at the rock. For a moment, an arched outline appeared there, blazing white as though there was powerful light behind the crack.

"You've done it!" Harry whispered in awe. Despite his hatred and contempt towards the man in front of him, even he had to admit that to be able to find the entrance just from touch was remarkable.

Dumbledore ignored, frowning at the wall. Then his eyes went wide. "Oh surely not. So crude." He turned to the raven-haired boy. "I think that we are required to make payment in order to pass."

Now it was Harry's turn to frown. "Payment? You've got to give the door something?"

"Yes. Blood, if I'm not much mistaken."

"Blood?"

"I said it was crude. The idea, as I'm sure you will have gathered, is that your enemy must weaken himself, or herself, to enter. Once again, Lord Voldemort fails to grasp that there are much more terrible things than physical injury."

Harry, once the old man had turned his back, shook his head. _Crude? More like brilliant._ He thought. _Weaken your enemy, then knowing Tom, use whatever is though this entrance to destroy them._ He watched as the old man lifted the sleeve of his damaged arm. He then took out a dagger. "Professor! Let me…" Harry began, playing his part.

"You're very kind Harry. But your blood is worth much more than mine." Dumbledore quickly slashed his hand, following the natural crease, and placed his palm against the wall, smearing it with blood. Pulling his hand back, he used his wand to heal the wound and vanish the dagger. "Ah, that seems to have done the trick, doesn't it?" The blazing silver outline f an arch had appeared in the wall once more, and this time it did not fade away: the blood-smeared rock within it simply vanished, leaving an opening into what seemed total darkness. "After me I think." He stepped through the archway with Harry on his heels.

An eerie sight met their eyes. They were standing on the edge of a great black lake, so vast that Harry could not make out the distant banks, in a cavern so high that the ceiling too was out of sight. A misty greenish light shone far away in what looked like the middle of the lake; it was reflected in the completely still water below. The greenish glow and the light from the two wands were the only things that broke the otherwise velvety blackness, though their rays did not penetrate as far as Harry would have expected. The darkness was somehow denser than normal darkness.

Let us walk," said Dumbledore quietly. "Be very careful not to step into the water. Stay close to me." He set off around the edge of the lake, and Harry followed close behind him. Their footsteps made echoing, slapping sounds on the narrow rim of rock that surrounded the water. On and on they walked, but the view did not vary: on one side of them, the rough cavern wall, on the other, the boundless expanse of smooth, glassy blackness, in the very middle of which was that mysterious greenish glow. Harry found the place and the silence oppressive, unnerving.

"Professor?" he said finally. "Do you think the Horcrux is here?"

"Oh yes," said Dumbledore. "Yes, I'm sure it is. The question is, how do we get to it?"

"We couldn't... we couldn't just try a Summoning Charm?" Harry asked, despite knowing it was probably impossible.

"Certainly we could," said Dumbledore, stopping so suddenly that Harry almost walked into him. "Why don't you do it?"

"Me? Oh . . . okay . . ." Harry had not expected this, but cleared his throat and said loudly, wand aloft, "Accio Horcrux!"

With a noise like an explosion, something very large and pale erupted out of the dark water some twenty feet away; before Harry could see what it was, it had vanished again with a crashing splash that made great, deep ripples on the mirrored surface. "What was that?"

"Something, I think, that is ready to respond should we attempt to seize the Horcrux."

Harry looked back at the water. The surface of the lake was once more shining black glass: The ripples had vanished unnaturally fast.

"Did you think that would happen, sir?"

"I thought something would happen if we made an obvious attempt to get our hands on the Horcrux. That was a very good idea, Harry; much the simplest way of finding out what we are facing."

"But we don't know what the thing was," said Harry, looking at the sinisterly smooth water.

"What the things are, you mean," said Dumbledore. "I doubt very much that there is only one of them. Shall we walk on?"

"Professor?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"Do you think we're going to have to go into the lake?"

"Into it? Only if we are very unfortunate."

"You don't think the Horcrux is at the bottom?"

"Oh no ... I think the Horcrux is in the middle." And Dumbledore pointed toward the misty green light in the centre of the lake.

"So we're going to have to cross the lake to get to it?"

"Yes, I think so." Harry did not say anything. His thoughts were all of water monsters, of giant serpents, of demons, kelpies, and sprites; creature he knew Tom was interested in gaining access to.

"Aha," said Dumbledore, and he stopped again; this time, Harry really did walk into him; for a moment he toppled on the edge of the dark water, and Dumbledore's uninjured hand closed tightly around his upper arm, pulling him back. "So sorry, Harry, I should have given warning. Stand back against the wall, please; I think I have found the place."

Harry had no idea what Dumbledore meant; this patch of dark bank was exactly like every other bit as far as he could tell, but Dumbledore seemed to have detected something special about it. This time he was running his hand, not over the rocky wall, but through the thin air, as though expecting to find and grip some-thing invisible.

"Oho," said Dumbledore happily, seconds later. His hand had closed in mid-air upon something Harry could not see. Dumbledore moved closer to the water; Harry watched nervously as the tips of Dumbledore's buckled shoes found the utmost edge of the rock rim. Keeping his hand clenched in mid-air, Dumbledore raised his wand with the other and tapped his fist with the point.

Immediately a thick coppery green chain appeared out of thin air, extending from the depths of the water into Dumbledore's clenched hand. Dumbledore tapped the chain, which began to slide through his fist like a snake, coiling itself on the ground with a clinking sound that echoed noisily off the rocky walls, pulling something from the depths of the black water. Harry gasped as the ghostly prow of a tiny boat broke the surface, glowing as green as the chain, and floated, with barely a ripple, toward the place on the bank where Harry and Dumbledore stood.

"How did you know that was there?" Harry asked.

"Magic always leaves traces," said Dumbledore, as the boat hit the bank with a gentle bump, "sometimes very distinctive traces. I taught Tom Riddle. I know his style."

"Is it safe?"

"Oh yes, I think so. Voldemort needed to create a means to cross the lake without attracting the wrath of those creatures he had placed within it in case he ever wanted to visit or remove his Horcrux."

"So the things in the water won't do anything to us if we cross in Voldemort's boat?"

"I think we must resign ourselves to the fact that they will, at some point, realize we are not Lord Voldemort. Thus far, however, we have done well. They have allowed us to raise the boat."

"But why have they let us?" asked Harry, who could not shake off the vision of tentacles rising out of the dark water the moment they were out of sight of the bank.

"Voldemort would have been reasonably confident that none but a very great wizard would have been able to find the boat," said Dumbledore. "I think he would have been prepared to risk what was, to his mind, the most unlikely possibility that somebody else would find it, knowing that he had set other obstacles ahead that only he would be able to penetrate. We shall see whether he was right."

Harry looked down into the boat. It really was very small. "It doesn't look like it was built for two people. Will it hold both of us? Will we be too heavy together?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Voldemort will not have cared about the weight, but about the amount of magical power that crossed his lake. I rather think an enchantment will have been placed upon this boat so that only one wizard at a time will be able to sail in it."

"But then…?"

"I do not think you will count, Harry: You are underage and un-qualified. Voldemort would never have expected a sixteen-year-old to reach this place: I think it unlikely that your powers will register compared to mine." Harry raised his eyebrows at the comment; perhaps Dumbledore knew it, for he added, "Voldemort's mistake, Harry, Voldemort's mistake. . . Age is foolish and forgetful when it underestimates youth. . . . Now, you first this time, and be careful not to touch the water." Dumbledore stood aside and Harry climbed carefully into the boat. Dumbledore stepped in too, coiling the chain onto the floor. They were crammed in together; Harry could not comfortably sit, but crouched, his knees jutting over the edge of the boat, which began to move at once. There was no sound other than the silken rustle of the boat's prow cleaving the water; it moved without their help, as though an invisible rope was pulling it onward toward the light in the centre. Soon they could no longer see the walls of the cavern; they might have been at sea except that there were no waves.

Harry looked down and saw the reflected gold of his wand light sparkling and glittering on the black water as they passed. The boat was carving deep ripples upon the glassy surface, grooves in the dark mirror. . . .

And then Harry saw it, marble white, floating inches below the surface. "Professor…" he started.

"Harry?"

"I think I saw a hand in the water- a human hand."

"Yes, I am sure you did," said Dumbledore calmly.

Harry stared down into the water, looking for the vanished hand, but it had gone.

"So that thing that jumped out of the water?" But Harry had his answer before Dumbledore could reply; the wand light had slid over a fresh patch of water and showed him, this time, a dead man lying face-up inches beneath the surface, his open eyes misted as though with cobwebs, his hair and his robes swirling around him like smoke. _There are bodies in here_ he thought.

"Yes, there are bodies in here" said Dumbledore placidly, as if he had read the boy's mind, "but we do not need to worry about them at the moment."

"At the moment?" Harry repeated, tearing his gaze from the water to look at Dumbledore.

"Not while they are merely drifting peacefully below us," said Dumbledore. "There is nothing to be feared from a body, Harry, any more than there is anything to be feared from the darkness. Lord Voldemort, who of course secretly fears both, disagrees. But once again he reveals his own lack of wisdom. It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more."

"But one of them jumped. When I tried to Summon the Horcrux, a body leapt out of the lake."

"Yes. I am sure that once we take the Horcrux, we shall find them less peaceable. However, like many creatures that dwell in cold and darkness, they fear light and warmth, which we shall therefore call to our aid should the need arise. Fire, Harry," Dumbledore added with a smile, in response to Harry's bewildered expression.

"Oh . . . right. . ." said Harry quickly. He turned his head to look at the greenish glow toward which the boat was still inexorably sailing. The great black lake, teeming with the dead ... It seemed hours and hours ago that he had seen Draco. He silently prayed that the plan was working.

"Nearly there," said Dumbledore, annoyingly cheerful. Sure enough, the greenish light seemed to be growing larger at last, and within minutes, the boat had come to a halt, bumping gently into something that Harry could not see at first, but when he raised his illuminated wand he saw that they had reached a small island of smooth rock in the centre of the lake. "Careful not to touch the water," said Dumbledore again as Harry climbed out of the boat.

The island was no larger than Dumbledore's office, an expanse of flat dark stone on which stood nothing but the source of that greenish light, which looked much brighter when viewed close to. Harry squinted at it; at first, he thought it was a lamp of some kind, but then he saw that the light was coming from a stone basin rather like the Pensieve, which was set on top of a pedestal. Dumbledore approached the basin and Harry followed. Side by side, they looked down into it. The basin was full of an emerald liquid emitting that phosphorescent glow.

"What is it?" asked Harry quietly.

"I am not sure," said Dumbledore. "Something more worrisome than blood and bodies, however." Dumbledore pushed back the sleeve of his robe over his blackened hand, and stretched out the tips of his burned fingers toward the surface of the potion. "Like I thought. I cannot touch," said Dumbledore, smiling faintly. "See? I cannot approach any nearer than this. You try."

Staring, Harry put his hand into the basin and attempted to touch the potion. He met an invisible barrier that prevented him coming within an inch of it. No matter how hard he pushed, his fingers encountered nothing but what seemed to be solid and flexible air.

"Out of the way, please, Harry," said Dumbledore. He raised his wand and made complicated movements over the surface of the potion, murmuring soundlessly. Nothing happened, except perhaps that the potion glowed a little brighter. Harry remained silent while Dumbledore worked, but after a while Dumbledore withdrew his wand, and Harry felt it was safe to talk again.

"You think the Horcrux is in there, sir?"

"Oh yes." Dumbledore peered more closely into the basin. Harry saw his face reflected, upside down, in the smooth surface of the green potion. "But how to reach it? This potion cannot be penetrated by hand, Vanished, parted, scooped up, or siphoned away, nor can it be Transfigured, Charmed, or otherwise made to change its nature." Almost absentmindedly, Dumbledore raised his wand again, twirled it once in mid-air, and then caught the crystal goblet that he had conjured out of nowhere. "I can only conclude that this potion is supposed to be drunk."

"Drunk?"

"Yes, I think so: Only by drinking it can I empty the basin and see what lies in its depths."

"But what if it kills you?" he asked, adding the word _prematurely_ in his head

"Oh, I doubt that it would work like that," said Dumbledore easily. "Lord Voldemort would not want to kill the person who reached this island." Harry couldn't believe it. Was this more of Dumbledore's insanity?

"Sir," said Harry, trying to keep his voice reasonable as he once more played the part, "sir, this is Voldemort we're…"

"I'm sorry, Harry; I should have said, he would not want to _immediately_ kill the person who reached this island," Dumbledore corrected himself. "He would want to keep them alive long enough to find out how they managed to penetrate so far through his defences and, most importantly of all, why they were so intent upon emptying the basin. Do not forget that Lord Voldemort believes that he alone knows about his Horcruxes."

Harry remained quiet about the fact that he knew that wasn't true. Dumbledore frowned slightly at the emerald liquid, evidently thinking hard. "Undoubtedly," he said, finally, "this potion must act in a way that will prevent me taking the Horcrux. It might paralyze me, cause me to forget what I am here for, create so much pain I am distracted, or render me incapable in some other way. This being the case, Harry, it will be your job to make sure I keep drinking, even if you have to tip the potion into my protesting mouth. You understand?"

Their eyes met over the basin, each pale face lit with that strange, green light. Harry did not speak. He did, however, internally smirk. This should be fun.

"You remember," said Dumbledore, "the condition on which I brought you with me?"

Harry looked into the blue eyes that had turned green in the reflected light of the basin. "But what if…?"

"You swore, did you not, to follow any command I gave you?"

"Yes, but…"

"I warned you, did I not, that there might be danger?"

"Yes," said Harry, "but…"

"Well, then," said Dumbledore, shaking back his sleeves once more and raising the empty goblet, "you have my orders."

"Why can't I drink the potion instead?"

"Because I am much older, much cleverer, and much less valuable," said Dumbledore. "Once and for all, Harry, do I have your word that you will do all in your power to make me keep drinking?"

"Couldn't…?"

"Do I have it?"

"But…"

"Your word, Harry."

"I… all right, but…"

Before Harry could make any further protest, Dumbledore lowered the crystal goblet into the potion. For a split second, Harry hoped that he would not be able to touch the potion with the goblet, but the crystal sank into the surface as nothing else had; when the glass was full to the brim, Dumbledore lifted it to his mouth. "Your good health, Harry."

And he drained the goblet…

**A/N2: Gonna stop there. You all know what happens from here. This is the penultimate chapter. Next one will be the last, for this story at least. So excited to know how you react. Review with your thought and cookies from the dark side shall be virtually sent. XD**

**xxxxx **


	18. The Beginning of an Age

Fallen Angel

**A/N: I have internet, and can't wait another week to post it. So here it is. The final chapter of Fallen Angel. Enjoy. :)**

They landed on the Astronomy Tower landing. Harry immediately sat the dying man down. "Severus. I need Severus. Wake him. Tell him what happened, Speak to no one else. Severus, Harry." Harry nodded, and went to leave. However, the two heard a noise on the stairs. Footsteps. "Hide yourself below Harry. Do not speak or be seen without my permission. Whatever happens, it is imperative that you stay below. Harry do as I say. Trust me."

Harry internally laughed at the dying man in front of him. _Trust is one thing he does not deserve._ However, he never let his feelings show, and instead ran to hide, just as Draco appeared on the balcony.

"Good evening Draco. What brings you here on this fine spring evening?"

"Who else is here? I heard voices." Draco demanded, his voice stern, his wand never wavering. Harry, below, was secretly proud of his boyfriend. He pulled up his hood and mask as Dumbledore spoke again.

"I often talk aloud to myself. I find it extraordinarily useful. Draco, you are no assassin."

"How would you know who I am? I've done things that would shock you!"

"Like being a naughty child and getting points taken from your own house? Like making the Professors ill? Forgive me, Draco, but those actions seem so badly thought out, I cannot but help wonder if your heart was really in them."

"He trusts me! I was chosen!" Draco lifted his right sleeve to showcase the Assassins' Dark Mark. "Those were simply ways of throwing you off my scent. I knew you'd start to wonder about me, and how tired I was looking, so I gave you something else to worry about."

"Then I shall make it easier for you." Dumbledore raised his wand as if to put it on the floor, but Draco was quicker.

"Expelliarmus!" He caught the wand with his free hand and seeker skills, just as more footsteps were heard on the stairs.

"You are not alone. How?"

"The Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement. I've been mending it."

"Let me guess, it has a twin?"

"In Borgin and Burkes. They form a passage."

"Ingenious. Draco, please let me help you." The old man was lying through his teeth, both of the teens could see it.

"I do not need your help! You're lying anyway! I have to kill you. Or he's going to kill me." Draco allowed the tiniest bit of fear show through at this point, and Harry was angry that Tom had broken his promise of leaving all the Assassins alone.

At that moment, the footsteps were revealed to be that of Bellatrix Lestrange, Fenir Greyback, Severus Snape, and a few others.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Bellatrix started, visibly excited. She caressed her nephew gently, eerily. "Well done Draco." She whispered in his ear.

"Good evening Bellatrix. I think introductions are in order, don't you?"

"Love to Albus. But I'm afraid were on a tight schedule. Do it!"

"Severus, please." Dumbledore begged, and Harry took his chance. Stepping forward as Torva.

"No." He simply said. As he stepped onto the balcony, the rest fell out of his way. "Good evening Albus."

"Torva." Dumbledore acknowledged with extreme distaste.

"Indeed. I told you we'd meet when the light left your eyes. Bella, take Fenir and the rest with you, and leave. Do not disturb the castle, just go. Severus, Draco, you shall remain with me."

Bellatrix, now used to him, and intimidated by him, nodded and led the Death Eaters away, leaving just the four of them.

"You said I would know who you were when I met you. Plan on following through with your promise?" Dumbledore enquired.

"Patience Albus, patience. I have many people on my side, as you probably already know. Draco here is Argentum Lingua. In fact, everybody on my side, or nearly everybody, used to be a member of Dumbledore's Army. Except for the Slytherins, of course. After all, they'll always follow their Saviour." Torva shed his enchantments, revealing his face. "Hello Sir."

Dumbledore was shocked, but rage could also be seen. However, when he spoke, he kept the rage out of his voice. "Harry?"

Just as he spoke, Harry noticed that Bella was in fact disobeying his orders and causing trouble, including setting Hagrid's house alight. He would deal with her later. "Yes. You didn't honestly think I would let you manipulate me, use me, just so that you could gain ultimate power? Never. I have had enough of your games, Dumbledore. My ultimate goal is to make the Wizarding World a better place. Unfortunately, to do that, I had to choose the lesser of two evils. Tom. For now." Harry raised his untraceable-wand and stepped closer. "I know of many ways to kill you. You would not believe the amount of pleasure I took in pouring that poison down your throat. To know that it was killing you slowly pleased me immensely. Now, I could send you away to the middle of nowhere to die slowly, but there would still be a chance you might tell somebody about me, and besides, it's like Bella said, we're on a tight schedule. Looks like I'll have to kill you now."

"You're making a big mistake."

Harry laughed. "No. No, you were the one who made the big mistake! Thinking you could use me. Well, not anymore. Avada Kedavra." Dumbledore's body fell over the railings and down. Down to the ground. Harry turned to Draco and Severus. "Get out of here. Go. I have to stay behind, act like the student everybody thinks I am. Stay at the Manor. I'll be with you both as soon as I can. Go."

Severus nodded, but Draco shook his head. "No. I'm not going without you."

"Draco, go. I'll be fine." He stepped forward and pulled his boyfriend into a hug. "I promise." He pulled away and looked deep into the boy's eyes. "Now go."

Draco nodded. But before he left, he pulled Harry into a searing kiss laced with promises. Then, he and his godfather left.

Harry waited a few moments before following them. As he waited, he cast one final spell. "Morsmordre." Then, he made his way down to the base of the Tower, where a crowd had gathered. Somebody, he noticed, had moved the body to make it look as though he was simply sleeping. Harry allowed himself fake tears to fall as he made his way over to the boy, kneeling beside it. He gently placed a hand on the body and bowed his head. It was as he did this that he noticed the locket, lying fallen, by the body. He pocketed it.

Ginny, playing her part, stepped forward and knelt beside Harry and pulled him into her arms, making it look as though she was comforting him. "Is it over?" She whispered, low enough for only him to hear. He nodded. "Good."

Professor McGonagall, tears streaming down her face, lit her wand and raised it to the sky in a salute, the rest of the students following. Slowly, the light made the Dark Mark disappear, leaving a clear night sky. Harry was secretly proud of the school, glad that they knew how to pull together, despite prejudices, if they had to. Finally, the crowd started to disperse, leaving just Harry behind, where he stayed, for the remainder of the night, just to make sure people believed his sob story.

xxxxx

"Do you thing he would have done it? Draco?" Hermione asked. It was now the next day, and Harry, Ron and Hermione were up in the Tower, overlooking the castle grounds.

"No. He may have killed people before, but they were people he never knew. Dumbledore was somebody he had known for years, and despite his intense hatred for him, he still wouldn't have been able to do it. It wasn't easy for me, and I don't think it would have been easy for Severus either, even if he had made an unbreakable vow to do it."

"What about the locket?"

"It's a fake. Look. Open it." He handed it to her and she opened it.

"'To the Dark Lord, I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death, in the hope when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more. R.A.B'"

"Who's R.A.B?" Ron asked.

"I don't know. But whoever it is, they have, or had, the real Horcrux. I don't know who they are, but I've seen the locket before. Remember when we were cleaning out the Black House? It was in the pile of stuff we threw away, which consequently, Kreacher was looking though. I bet he has it."

"So we go to Kreacher. Ask him to return it to us."

"No, not yet. I have to go back to the Manor and see Tom. I did do Draco's job after all. After I've been there, I'll go to Kreacher, then in search of the others."

"We'll come with you." Hermione said. "You would never survive on your own."

"No. Hermione, Ron, I need you here. Somebody has to lead the Assassins whilst I'm gone. As you are the other two founding members, I'm going to leave that up to you. I'll find the Horcruxes, but I'll send them to you. If needs be, I'll even keep coming backwards and forwards to the school to give them to you. I want the three of you- you, Ron and Draco- to destroy one each. The other one, decide amongst the three of you who will destroy it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"How do we destroy them?" Ron asked.

"Well I know that Basilisk venom works. After all, that's what I used on the diary. See if you can get into the Chamber. Failing that, I don't know."

"We'll work something out mate. We always do."

"Thanks Ron. One more thing, both of you. Please keep an eye on Draco. He'll be coming back to the school, so he won't see me. And if he does come back to the Manor during the holidays, I'm going to stay away from him. Please, try to explain to him that it's for the best, and that as soon as it is all over, I'll dedicate as much time to him as he wants me to. I don't think I can tell him myself."

They both nodded. "You really do love him don't you?" Hermione added.

"With all my heart. I just haven't told him yet. Please don't tell him. Even if he asks. Don't tell him."

"Of course. It isn't our place to tell him anyway. Just please, be careful Harry."

"I will. Don't you worry. I have to warn you though, Severus will be in charge next year. The Carrows will also be in teaching positions. You must pretend to be the students everybody thinks you are, all of you. Start up the DA again, get as much practice in as possible. That's the best way, I think. However, the rest of them must play two roles. Not you three, just the rest. They have to be seen with their masks. But they have to act in such a way so as to make it seem that they are in fact helping any student that has been abused by the Carrows. You have to make sure that secretly, the Assassins are giving the impression of helping other students. I know I'm asking a lot of you, but I wouldn't if I didn't think that you could manage it."

"We'll do it Harry, don't you worry."

"Thank you. Now I have to go. Tom is expecting me." He hugged both of his best friends, before disappearing with a crack.

xxxxx

At the Manor, Torva strode into the main living room, where a meeting was in progress. Without saying a word, he walked up to the right of the Dark Lord and stood at his side.

"…Make sure it is done. Torva, were you successful."

"Yes my Lord. Albus Dumbledore is dead." Those who had not been present that night gasped in shock and fright. Even they respected the fact that Dumbledore had been a powerful wizard. So for this newcomer, a wizard who they didn't even know the face of, to defeat him… he must be even more powerful.

"Excellent."

"My Lord, if I may?" Bellatrix stepped forward, bowing when Tom's eyes moved to her. "What about Potter? When are we killing him?" She slid her eyes to Torva, who narrowed his in return, but she did not give away who he was, evidence that the Fidellius Charm Harry had placed in her a couple of weeks before had worked.

"Leave Potter to me Bellatrix." Torva said. "We will bide our time. He will die soon, but not yet. When he does, it will be at our Lord's hand, don't you worry about that. It should be at Hogwarts as well my Lord, the place he feels safest." He addressed this last bit to the man beside him.

"Indeed. Strike where it hurts. Bella, I have every faith in Torva. When the time comes, you will have your blood. Now all of you, go. I need to speak with Torva alone." They all bowed and left. Once they had, Tom put up his glamour, and Torva shed his enchantments.

"Tom, just to let you know, Bellatrix disobeyed my orders last night. I told her not to cause any trouble, yet she deliberately did."

"Hmm, I see. Well, as it was you who she disobeyed, you can punish her. How exactly do you plan on getting around the idea of me killing you then?"

Harry chuckled. "Don't you worry. When the time comes, the whole world will find out exactly where my loyalties lie…"

**A/N2: And, done. For now. There will be a sequel. I will call it Blurred Lines, again, thanks to the help of the lovely RandomWriter2011. Where do Harry's loyalties lie? We'll find out soon enough…**

**xxxxx **


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